The Trespasser
by AcroNymph
Summary: Naomi wakes up in a foreign land, where the people and places are unfamiliar. She struggles to cope with her extraordinary situation, facing hardships and pain along the way. For Naomi, there seems to be no place in this frightening new world. Neji x OC
1. Chapter 1

One: Wake Up

Rain. Chilled rain. A cold drizzle dancing across sleeping flesh. Each tiny droplet like a needle, beckoning her body to life. She stirred, shivers working their way down each of her sprawling limbs. Eyelids flickered, momentarily revealing a set of glossy blue eyes that matched the rain clouds scattered across the sky. There was a soft moan, and the eyes disappeared from sight once again.

_'Where am I?' _The hard ground and wet grass were not the sheets and pillows she remembered falling into last night. _'I'm dreaming.'_ Body trembling, she attempted to push herself upright, but only managed to collapse onto her side. Weak and cold, she drew her knees tight up against her chest and tucked her head down, willing this vision away. Minutes passed, and nothing seemed to be changing. Shivers wracked her body now, and she had to clench her jaw to keep her teeth from chattering. _'Please get up...'_ With another heaving effort, she made it onto her hands and knees.

Rain that had gathered along her cheeks and brow dripped down along her lips and nose. Her short brown hair fell in a sopping mess over her shoulders. She must have been lying there for a long time, because the rain was light and wouldn't have soaked her through over any short length of time. She noticed she was still in her pajamas—not unusual for a dream sequence. Her bright orange tank top and long, gray flannel pants clung to her cold, drenched skin. She continued to shiver.

Lifting her heavy head, she searched for the nearest cover—anything to get out of the rain. She found herself looking out into a sparse forest, and with another immense show of effort, she crawled over to the nearest tree and huddled beneath its narrow canopy. _'What sort of dream is this?'_ She'd never had one feel quite so real before, but she'd read about dreams that feel this way—lucid dreams, she thinks they were called. She had no interest, however, in exploring this potentially enlightening place. Sheltered—for the most part—she lay her head back down and let her eyelids slide shut. Her body quickly relieved itself back into unconscious darkness.

vVvVv

Warm sunlight streamed in through her window, coating her face in gold. She smiled, glad to be rid of the cold that seemed to have enveloped her for an eternity. _'What a dream...'_ Her pale blue eyes opened, and she cringed as sunlight burned her vision. She groaned and sat up quickly, leaning back against the wall as she rubbed the tenderness out of her gaze. She sighed.

"Christ, I'm hungry..." she mumbled, falling into a wide stretch, realizing something was very wrong. Her eyes opened a second time, and panic flooded through her. Nothing had changed.

She was still in that sparse forest, leaning back against the trunk of the tree she had crawled to for shelter. Her clothes were damp, but warm in the morning light. She clutched her head, frantically attempting to wake up.

"Oh my god... I hate it when this happens..." She tried some experimental blinking techniques, and then she tried to talk herself out of the dream with logic and reasoning. Nothing seemed to be working. Her body ached, her stomach was churning, and her head began to pound. Warily, she got to her feet—bare against the damp earth—and glanced around. Nothing in sight but trees. Swallowing dryly, she pushed away from the tree, wandering aimlessly through the forested labyrinth.

She stumbled along until the sun was blazing overhead, and still, nothing but trees to be found. She placed a palm against her stomach and bent over, gritting her teeth as it gurgled unpleasantly. It felt as though she hadn't had a meal in a couple of days—which is odd considering she remembered having a rather large, delectable dinner last night. The thought of it resulted in another rumble.

"Hn..." she moaned, continuing on at a slower pace.

"You, girl, state your business here." The girl in question jumped in surprise, a startled expression molding onto her face. Her eyes searched wildly for the source of the voice, but could find no one.

"I...I..." _'I'm talking to a voice in my head'_ She ran her fingers through her hair and exhaled, calming herself. She walked on, but hadn't taken two steps before there was a thump in the tree beside her. She looked at the trunk and paled when she noticed the long needle protruding from the bark.

"I said, state your business." She didn't know why, or how she knew to do it, but something made her look up. Standing in the tree opposite herself, there was a man dressed in all black with a mask covering the bottom of his face. His hair was unruly, and tied back with some sort of band. She also noticed almost immediately the three long needles he held at the ready, and the many other weapons scattered about his person. _'...he's in a tree... he's a crazy man in a tree threatening me with pointy sticks... I really need to wake up.'_ Deciding to cooperate with the dream-man, she cleared her parched throat and called up to him.

"I don't have any business; I'm just trying to wake up." The man gave her a cold once over. _'What? You think I'm hiding something lethal in my pajamas?'_

"Hn, just trying to wake up?" In a movement she could not follow, the Treeman threw two more needles toward her. She didn't even know what he had done until she felt a burning in her arm. The sharp metal had grazed over her skin, hitting the tree where the first needle still stuck. In awe, she touched the blood as it gathered at the openings. _'I'm dreaming... this isn't supposed to happen.' _"Don't play games with me. Who sent you here?" She swallowed dryly, her heart pounding.

"I... no one, really... I just woke up here..." She pointed back the way she had come. "Back there, a couple of miles..."

"Hn, you could be a spy." He readied another needle. Reflexively, she covered her head with her hands and hunched over against the tree.

"No! Please, believe me! I have no idea how I got here." He was silent, so she took a chance and straightened up, staring directly at him to meet his glare. "I mean... do I really _look_ like I'm prepared to be wandering around out here?" She gestured toward her bare feet and now dry attire. The light material would offer no protection from cold or injury. To her utter relief, the man lowered his arm, returning the needles back from whence they came.

"The main road is another mile in that direction." He pointed. "You will head straight there. You will not look back. A scout will be sent out to make sure you are headed away from here. If he reports that you've changed course, you _will_ be taken in. Understood?"

_'Taken in? Taken in where?' _She could only nod in response.

"Get going." The adrenaline she had been fighting off coursed through her veins. She turned heel and began to run, tripping and stumbling but never stopping. She did not look back.

vVvVv

It seemed to take no time at all for her to stumble out onto the main road, breathing heavily. From there she walked straight, head down and arms around her stomach. The soles of her feet burned with each step she took, and with every passing minute she grew weaker and hungrier. She knew she wouldn't last without food, or water, at the very least.

_'Left, right, left, right, left, right...'_ Lost in her concentration, she didn't hear the oncoming footsteps until she saw some people pass by in her peripheral vision. It took her a few steps to register what she'd seen, but then her mind snapped back into focus and she wheeled around. A group of three people were walking back the way she had come. _'Oh my god... they can help me.'_ Something in the back of her mind cautioned her, reminding that the last person she'd met was a crazy man in a tree, but the thought of water, and maybe food, pushed those cautions away.

"Wa—" she coughed, her voice nothing but a wheeze. This, however, seemed to be enough to get the group's attention. Suddenly, she felt three sets of eyes all on her as she struggled to compose herself. "Please," she managed between coughs. "Wait." The coughing intensified, and her knees buckled, sending her to the ground. With one hand on her chest and the other supporting her upper body, she began to wheeze. Her body was more severely dehydrated than she had realized, and was beginning to shut down. She heard a quiet murmur from someone in the group, and then footsteps approaching. Someone was kneeling beside her. A cool hand was gently placed on the back of her neck, and, abruptly, her airway seemed to clear and the wheezing stopped.

"Drink this," a girl's voice instructed, offering a canteen. Eagerly, she drank, dizzying from the affect the water had on her parched body. "Careful, or you'll just throw it all back up." Immediately, her frantic gorging stopped and she pushed the canteen away. She could not handle throwing up. "Can you stand?" She paused, and then nodded, pushing herself to her feet. The hand at the back of her neck was removed and placed at her elbow to keep her from stumbling. She took the opportunity to survey her saviors. The girl at her side was dressed in red, with short— _'Pink?'_— pink hair. The other two people were both male, one with short blond hair wearing a bright— _'Orange?'_— orange jumpsuit, and the other with silvery gray hair wearing a green jacket and a— _'...what's with the masks? He'd better not be another crazy Treeman...'_— mask covering everything except for one eye. Her attention then returned to the girl at her side, who spoke with a kind smile.

"I'm Sakura Haruno—what happened to you?"

"I... don't know." She ran her fingers back through her short brown hair, exasperated. She knew she was going to sound crazy. "Look... you need to believe me. I know I sound ridiculous, but, just, please..."

"Go on," Sakura encouraged, tone gentle.

"Well... I just... woke up here. In the middle of the woods, drenched by the rain and completely starved. I remember eating dinner last night, and then going into my room to sleep... I don't know how I got here, or how long I've been here." She exhaled, still a bit winded from her coughing fit.

"What about these?" Sakura gently prodded the swollen area around the two slices on her upper arm. The blood had dried, she'd forgotten all about them.

"Oh! There was a man! Some crazy man in a tree was throwing... _needles_ at me. He thought I was a spy. Told me to come this way and not look back, and that a scout would be sent out to check on me." It was only then that she realized how odd it was to hear and use the word 'scout'. She shook her head. "Please..." Her shoulders slumped and head turned down. She spoke with a weak, pleading voice. "I just want to wake up."

The group exchanged glances, the younger two each settling their gazes onto the masked man, who had been reading a book the entire time. _'Of all of the things to be doing right now...'_ He flipped a page, and then looked straight at her.

"What's your name?" His voice was smooth and nonchalant—it made it seem okay to relax.

"Naomi..." she murmured anxiously.

"Alright, Naomi," he closed the book and tucked it away. "Let's get you cleaned up."


	2. Chapter 2

Two: Naomi's Welcome

As the group—whose names she now knew—neared the gates of what Naomi knew was their destination, she felt her face pale. The walls looked like some towering fortress; a stronghold. _'And they all live in there? What are they protecting themselves from?'_ She held her breath as they passed through the massive stone archway, and then nearly froze when she saw what lay inside.

Bustling streets, crowded shops, buildings cramped side by side, and then, in the distance, what almost resembled Mount Rushmore. Naomi followed close behind Kakashi, with Sakura and Naruto flanking her sides chitchatting excessively with one another; Naruto did most of the actual talking.

Naomi's weary blue eyes panned over the faces of the people in the crowds. _'What is with these clothes?'_ She saw people in robes, people with bandages around their limbs for no apparent reason, masks, netting, and— _'Those headbands are everywhere...'_ One person in particular, a ways off down the street, caught her attention. He was a grown man, wearing what looked to be a bright green leotard. The vest he wore over it matched Kakashi's. She looked at the people around him. Three younger people—teenagers, as far as Naomi could tell—were listening to him speak. _'Oh my god... one of them must be his son; they look exactly the same! I wonder if he and Kakashi are a part of some sort of guided tour group or...camp counselors...'_

"Naomi." She nearly ran into Kakashi, who had turned to face her, his visible eye glued to the pages of his book. "Go with Sakura now to get cleaned up. She'll take you to the Hokage's Tower afterward, and I'll let her know you're coming. She'll decide what to do with you from there." Naomi nodded and then looked to Sakura, who smiled reassuringly.

"Come on, you look like you could fit in to some of my clothes."

vVvVv

Once they reached Sakura's house, relief flooded Naomi's tired body—she was finally away from the unfamiliar crowds and bustle. Sakura's house was just a home. Nothing unusual, nothing to be afraid of; it was comforting. Sakura led Naomi to her room, and it was all Naomi could do to not simply collapse on top of the neatly made bed; her legs began to tremble at the thought of sleep.

"Here." Sakura's voice pulled Naomi from her trance. She was holding a pile of neatly folded clothes. "These should fit you." Naomi took the pile, fingers caressing the smooth material of whatever was on top—it was a lovely shade of brown. Sakura smiled. "It matches your hair."

"Yeah," Naomi responded weakly, mustering a small smile. Sakura's smile became sympathetic and she very gently placed her hand on Naomi's slouched shoulder.

"I'll whip up some food while you take a bath, how's that sound?" Naomi's eyes widened anxiously. She could only nod. "The washroom is just that way, and the kitchen is straight down the hall from that door. If you need anything, just call for me." As soon as Sakura left the room, a sense of loneliness began to creep all over Naomi's body. She inhaled slowly, held her breath, and then made her way to the washroom.

She ran the water until it steamed, staring down into the basin to watch the ripples. Her thoughts consumed her, and she lost track of reality. By the time she realized how long she'd been sitting there, the tub was nearly full to the brim. Naomi hastily shut off the water and rubbed her eyes.

"Come on, Naomi," she murmured aloud. "You can get through this." Stripping out of her pajamas, she slowly submerged her frail body into the steaming water. The heat stung, and the steam filled her airway, but she relished in the sensations. She let her head slip from the basin's edge until her ears and temples were completely submerged. She closed her eyes, and listened.

_'It's so peaceful...'_ The water acted as a shield, keeping her away from the strange world she'd fallen into. The aches and pains that lined her body, inside and out, submitted to the heat, seeming to lift away, carried by the steam. Naomi fell into a state of absolute, beautiful numbness. _'I'm going to float away...'_

A sharp rapping on the door startled Naomi back into the waking world; her bath had gone cold.

"Naomi?" came Sakura's voice, hinting at some concern. Naomi sat up and exhaled, closing her eyes. She wanted to go back into the nothingness.

"Sorry—I'll be out in a minute." Slowly, drawing out every motion, Naomi lifted herself out of the tub and released the drain. For a moment, she watched the water begin to swirl away. She pretended she was going with it—all of her cares, all of her pain, everything she felt simply being carried away. Retrieving her towel from its hook, Naomi left the water droplets scattered over her flesh and walked over to the clouded mirror. She wiped the steam away, seeing herself for the first time since waking up in this strange place.

Her gray-blue eyes were glossy and distant with heavy shadows beneath them. Her skin, already naturally quite pale but still seemingly healthy, was washed out and ghostly white. Her cropped brown hair hung around her face in a sopping mess. She ran her fingers through it, and then drew them down the length of the wet glass. The empty person she saw in the mirror frightened her.

A few minutes later, hair somewhat neater and skin mostly dry, Naomi emerged from the bathroom in the clothes Sakura had give her. She wore an earthy, brown kimono that secured around her neck and fell to just above her knees, and white leggings that only reached mid-thigh. Everything fit well enough, except for the sandals, which she could just not get comfortable in. _'Probably because my feet are raw and swollen from all of that walking I did...'_ Making her way to the kitchen, Naomi found Sakura waiting for her by the table with a small smile on her face.

"I thought you might have drowned," she remarked, mostly joking. Naomi managed a very empty smile.

"Sorry—I think I may have fallen asleep."

"Don't worry about it, your food is still warm." And then, as if on cue, Naomi tensed her jaw against a biting flare up of pain in the pit of her stomach. She sat down quickly, staring at the plateful of food and large glass of water. She was almost afraid to touch it in case it disappeared. Almost as if looking for reassurance, Naomi glanced up at Sakura, who handed her some chopsticks. "Dig in. And, sorry if the water seems a bit off, I added some vitamins to it. Nothing major, just enough to make your body feel better." Naomi downed her water, clearing her plate with time to spare. Food had never tasted so good. Sakura seemed very pleased.

"We need to go and see the Hokage, but..." Sakura's eyes scanned Naomi's figure, slumped down in the chair and eyes half-closed. "I think I can allow you some time to rest." And without another word, Sakura guided a half-conscious Naomi back down the hallway to her room and watched as she collapsed onto the bed. Quietly, Sakura exited and closed the door, leaving it open just a fraction. She paused thoughtfully in the hallway.

"This will be interesting."

vVvVv

Naomi had been asleep for a precious three hours before Sakura had gently stirred her awake. The two walked side by side down the street, a very refreshed Naomi once again absorbing her surroundings.

"Lady Tsunade can be a little intimidating sometimes, but she's a good person. She'll know how to handle your... situation." Naomi sighed.

"She can help me get home?" The pause that followed unnerved Naomi, and her wandering eyes darted over to Sakura. The pink-haired girl's expression was very thoughtful. As though realizing Naomi's increasing anxiety, Sakura quickly put on a smile.

"She's the Hokage—I'm sure she'll figure something out." Now it was Naomi's turn to pause.

"Sakura?"

"Hm?"

"...what's a 'Hokage'?" The look she received said 'maybe I ought to be bringing you to the psychiatric ward instead'.

"The Hokage oversees everything that goes on in this village. She protects the people and makes all of the important decisions." Naomi nodded.

_'So it's like being the governor, or something...'_ When the two reached the entrance to the Hokage's Tower, Naomi felt her legs become weak. She swallowed dryly, eyes narrowed onto the large doorway. She felt a gentle tug on her arm, and slowly followed Sakura inside. The building seemed very official. Clean floors, decorated walls, and different doorways leading to, most presumably, different offices or meeting places. Sakura led her up a couple flights of stairs and down a long, curved hallway, stopping in front of two large, heavy wooden doors. Naomi's feet stuck to the floor.

"Sakura..."

"Just relax, I'm going to go with you." Naomi nodded, and Sakura knocked twice. When there was no response, she knocked again and folded her arms. Naomi glanced anxiously between the doors and Sakura, who began murmuring under her breath. She gave one last, final pound to the door, finally receiving the desired response from inside.

"Come in!" The voice was clearly one of frustration. Sakura pushed open the heavy doors with ease and stepped inside, stopping in the middle of the room. Naomi followed, hovering behind Sakura.

"Lady Tsunade, this is Naomi, the girl Kakashi was supposed to tell you about." The woman behind the desk, fingers buried in her light blonde hair, did not look up from the paper in front of her. The grip she had on the pen in her other hand was visibly tense. Sakura cleared her throat and repeated herself.

"Lady Tsunade," she spat out, irritated at being ignored. Tsunade slammed the pen onto her desk and glared at Sakura. Naomi's heart leaped into her throat.

"Can't you see I'm—oh... Sakura, it's you." Tsunade visibly relaxed. Sakura's shoulders slumped. "Sorry, it's been a long day. What do you need?"

"This is Naomi." Sakura stepped to the side, revealing the girl who had been cowering silently behind her. "Kakashi should have told you about her." Naomi stood stalk still, hands folded neatly in front of her and eyes locked onto the floor. A silence fell over the room as Tsunade leaned back in her chair and looked Naomi over.

"So, this is the girl you found on the road on your way to Amekagure?" Sakura nodded. "And what was it that she told you?" Naomi felt strange having them talk about her as though she wasn't standing right there, but was also thankful for not needing to speak.

"She said that she just woke up in the middle of the woods, and didn't know how she got there. She also had an encounter with a Rain Village guard." Subconsciously, Naomi's hand gently touched the two slices in her upper arm. She shivered, and it was silent again.

_'This woman... it's not intimidation, it's something else...'_

"Naomi." The sound of her name caused her to jump nervously, and she warily brought her eyes up to meet Tsunade's scrutinizing gaze. "Would you object to undergoing a physical exam? I need to know if you've been drugged, or subject to other anesthetics." Naomi's hands shook and she side glanced at Sakura, who nodded reassuringly.

"O-Okay. That's... fine," she replied, voice much softer than she would have liked. Tsunade nodded.

"Good. Now, Sakura, your team is waiting for you by the gates." Naomi's skin turned cold, and Sakura's expression became questioning.

"What? Why?"

"You did the right thing bringing Naomi back to the village right away, but you still have a mission to complete." Sakura took a half-step forward, as if objecting.

"But, Tsunade, can't it—"

"It's not a suggestion, it's an order. Now, go and meet your team." Tsunade's voice was strong and final. Sakura's jaw tensed and she nodded. She turned to leave without another word, squeezing Naomi's shoulder as she passed.

"You'll be fine," she whispered, closing the doors behind her as she exited. Naomi was alone again. She stood frozen in place as Tsunade went about marking a couple more papers and setting them aside. _'Am I supposed to leave?'_ A knock on the door earned another jump from Naomi. The doors opened without a response from Tsunade.

"Lady Tsunade, I've brought you some—oh! I'm sorry, am I interrupting?" Naomi turned, locking eyes with a young woman carrying a small tray of tea. Her eyes were open and welcoming, her smile warm. Naomi felt a nudge against her leg, and looked down. _'...it's a pig.'_ Behind her, she heard Tsunade let out a relaxed sigh.

"Come in, Shizune. I was hoping you'd stop by." Shizune walked over and placed the tray on Tsunade's desk.

"You were? That's a first." She laughed, and Tsunade smiled. The air that had been smothering Naomi before seemed to dissipate. _'She's not as frightening when she smiles,' _she thought, almost managing a smile of her own.

"I need you to escort Naomi—" Tsunade nodded in the girl's direction. "—to the medical wing for an internal physical exam." _'Internal?' _Shizune looked Naomi up and down curiously.

"Alright, I can do that. Right now?"

"Yes." Tsunade lifted one of the cups to her mouth and closed her eyes, breathing in the steam. Shizune approached Naomi and smiled.

"Please, follow me." Naomi nodded. She was good at following. Just before they made it out of the room, Tsunade called them back.

"Oh, I nearly forgot. Naomi, I've assigned another team to be your escort until Kakashi's team returns. They'll meet you after your exam—you are directed to stay with them and do as they tell you, understand?" Naomi nodded, and she and Shizune were dismissed. Alone in her office, enjoying the peace, Tsunade stared down into her cup. After a thoughtful moment, she sighed.

"She should've brought sake."


	3. Chapter 3

Three: Discoveries

When Naomi awoke in the hospital room after her exam, she momentarily forgot where she was. Slightly panicked, she sat bolt upright and swept her gaze around the room. Then she remembered. _'I must have fallen asleep before they even started... ' _Probably for the better, she decided. Naomi stretched and yawned deeply, listening as her joints popped and cracked. A nurse walked in and smiled.

"Glad to see you're awake." Naomi smiled.

"How long have I been sleeping?" The nurse paused and tapped her bottom lip as she thought.

"Well... I'd say about... twelve hours. You slept straight through the night." Naomi couldn't keep her jaw from dropping.

"Oh... um... wow... I guess I needed it, then..." She shook her head to shake off her surprise. "Er, how did my exam go?" The nurse tried to hide the momentary falter in her smile, but Naomi caught it.

"Fine, just fine. You're healthy, inside and out, and you should have most of your strength and energy back now. Here." The nurse went behind a curtain and came back with a folded pile of clothes. "These are yours. Sorry, but we had to change you." For the first time, Naomi looked down and realized she was in a hospital gown. She blushed, but suppressed her embarrassment.

"Um, thanks." She took the pile and the nurse turned to leave, pausing before she shut the door.

"I'll send in your escort in just a little while." Then she was gone, and with no distractions, Naomi's nerves then began to kick into gear.

_'Something about the exam bothered her...' _Pushing those thoughts aside for the time being, Naomi went into the bathroom, splashed water onto her face, and re-dressed herself in the clothes Sakura had given her. Looking at herself in the mirror, she was quite pleased to see how much healthier she looked. Her fair skin had some flush to it, her eyes were clearer, and the shadows were gone. She smiled. "You can do this."

Naomi exited the bathroom just in time to hear someone banging enthusiastically against her door. She froze mid-step, wondering why this person was knocking so... boisterously.

"Um... come in?" The door swung open, and Naomi had to keep her jaw from dropping. _'It's... him.'_ The man she'd spotted on the street the day before was now posing in her doorway with a huge grin on his face. _'And he's still wearing that... leotard.'_

"Greetings! My team and I have been assigned as your escort! My name is Guy!" He gave her a thumbs up, and she stammered.

"I'm N—"

"And I," The younger man she'd labeled as Guy's son jumped out from behind him and stood proudly in front of Naomi. "Am Rock Lee, and will be your very excellent escort!" Naomi took a step backward, feeling the windowsill against her back.

"I—"

"Lee!" A girl came up behind Lee and gave his head a good thwack. "Quit it! You're going to scare her away." Lee rubbed his head and sulked, moving to stand beside Guy.

"Ah, Tenten, must you always hit me so hard?"

"Yes." The girl, Tenten, glared at Lee and then turned, offering Naomi her hand and a smile. "I'm sorry, they can be a bit over the top... I'm Tenten." Naomi breathed a sigh of relief. The presence of someone sensible made her feel much more at ease. She shook Tenten's hand.

"It's alright. I'm Naomi, it's nice to meet you all." It was then Naomi's gaze flickered over Tenten's shoulder, past Guy, and onto a figure hovering in the doorway. A fourth person had remained silent at the back of the group. A young man with long brown hair wearing a white, loose, long sleeved shirt and one of those headbands around his forehead. He was staring off to the side, expression impassable.

_'He's not even lookin—... oh...'_ As soon as Naomi saw his eyes, her thoughts stopped. They were pale, and sharp, staring intensely off into space. _'He's blind...'_

"Well?" Naomi blinked and brought her attention back to Tenten.

"Um... I'm sorry, what?"

"I asked if you were ready to go."

"Oh, right... I am."

"Excellent!" Guy exclaimed. "It is always good to be prepared! Now... let us be off!"

vVvVv

The group guided Naomi around town, pointing out different shops, buildings, and roads along the way. She hung at the back with Tenten while the other three led. She missed Sakura's company, but seemed to bond just as easily with Tenten.

"Tenten?" she murmured quietly, slowing down a bit.

"Hm?"

"He never introduced himself—what's his name?" Naomi nodded toward the young man with long brown hair.

"Oh, that's Neji Hyuga," she whispered, smiling. "He's pretty aloof sometimes, but great to have on your side." Naomi nodded, not quite understanding but letting the subject go. Throughout their walk, she couldn't help but to keep throwing glances at Neji.

_'How can he be walking without any assistance?' _She kept expecting him to trip, or to run into someone, but he had no trouble navigating the crowds. After some time, she couldn't help but ask. She whispered to Tenten again.

"Tenten? How does he do that?"

"Huh? How does who do what?" Naomi nodded toward Neji.

"Neji; how does he move around so easily?" Tenten gave her a quizzical look, glanced over at Neji, and then back to Naomi.

"What do you mean? Why shouldn't he be able to?"

"Well... I mean... I've never seen a blind person get around without any kind of aid." Tenten's eyes nearly popped out of her head, and a roaring fit of laughter poured from her throat. The rest of the group turned to see what all the noise was about. Naomi looked awkwardly between them all, and then stared at Tenten, mortified. "What? What's so funny?"

"You... you..." Her hysterics only increased, and Guy beamed.

"Ah, youth! So full of joy!" He began to laugh along with Tenten, and Lee quickly followed suit. Naomi stared at the three of them incredulously. When she felt eyes on her, she glanced around, locking stares with Neji, whose expression remained hard and unreadable. Her breath caught in her throat.

_ 'His eyes aren't white, they're...'_ The sunlight glinted against his penetrating gaze. _'Lavender.' _She couldn't break her stare away until she felt Tenten's hand on her shoulder. The girl had managed to calm herself enough to speak coherently, her large brown eyes moist with tears.

"I just... wow, I can't believe you. Blind? You... you've never heard of the Byakugan?" Naomi blinked, feeling blood rush to her cheeks as the group's attention shifted onto her. She glanced at Neji briefly, feeling goosebumps rise on the back of her neck. His gaze was narrowed directly onto Naomi's, boring into her.

"Oh, right... Byakoogun. Sorry, I'm still a little out of it..." she lied, rubbing her head, desperately attempting to cover her slip-up. _'Must be some kind of disease,'_ she decided. Guy, like a godsend, interrupted her awkward moment.

"Such energy has inspired me! Team, let us go to the training field and demonstrate our excellence!" And, to Naomi's utter horror, Neji fell to the back of the group, and she could feel his eyes trying to break her down the whole way there.

vVvVv

The only thing that kept Naomi from bolting back into the forest and running far, far away from this place was Guy's arm slung around her rigid shoulders, jostling her and explaining every detail about the scene in front of them. The team had reached a large expanse of meadow surrounded by a thin wooded area. There were some dummies staked into the ground here and there, and other odd commodities, but they were hardly relevant. Naomi's wide blue eyes were narrowed onto Tenten and Lee. She didn't understand how two people could be moving so fast and with such precision.

_'They're going to kill each other…'_ Naomi could barely breathe as sharp projectiles from Tenten were evaded and deflected by Lee. _'This must be… a martial arts camp… it must be…'_ And even that explanation did little to soothe her.

"Ah!" exclaimed Guy. "Such vibrant youth! See how their techniques are so close to perfection?" Naomi could only nod in response, swallowing dryly. She wanted to question everything she was seeing, but didn't expect Guy to be particularly helpful or understanding. Hardly able to peel her eyes away from the shocking scene, Naomi noticed Neji a little ways off, leaning with his arms folded over his chest against a tree. His expression was impassable as he watched his companions brutally attack one another. _'He must feel left out because of his… Byakoo-whatever it is…'_ Naomi couldn't keep from feeling bad for the young man—being at camp without really being able to participate couldn't be much fun. Suddenly, Tenten cried out and Naomi's eyes shot over just in time to see her being slammed into the ground. Lee stood proudly where he was, Guy was practically applauding, and Naomi was practically unconscious.

"Oh my God—Tenten!" Her legs tensed, readying to propel her to the fallen girl's side, but when she saw the smile plastered on Tenten's dirtied face as she sat up, Naomi froze.

"Ah, nice one Lee," she chimed a bit begrudgingly as she got to her feet and dusted herself off, beginning the process of recollecting her weapons. Lee beamed and struck a pose, fist aimed at the sky.

"Yes, Tenten! An excellent opponent, as always!" Naomi felt Guy remove his arm from around her shoulders and approach the others. He gave accolades and encouragement and went on and on about how the fight had been beautiful. Naomi took this moment to herself to slide down onto her knees in the soft grass, sighing heavily as her shoulders slumped. Everything felt as though it had gone through a tumbler, and nothing went the right way anymore. Her world was upside down. The voices of the others faded into the background of her mind, and she let her eyes close, leaning back until she felt rough bark against her exposed skin. So far she'd managed to go along with things with a fairly level head, but the longer she stayed here, the more real everything became, and she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to wake up.

"Naomi?" Tenten's voice brought the girl back to total awareness and she opened her cloudy blue eyes.

"Hm?"

"Guy wants you to spar to 'demonstrate your youth'..." Tenten rolled her eyes and then offered a sympathetic look. "Sorry." When she saw how Naomi's face had paled, and the way her arms clamped around her stomach, Tenten's eyes took on a look of pity and understanding. Without a word, she stood and approached Guy. Naomi's ears were drumming as her heart rate sped past any healthy means, but over the roar she could hear Tenten.

"Listen, Sensei, I really don't think she's up for anything. I mean, she's just barely regained her strength…"

"What better way to spend this newfound strength than in battle!" Tenten folded her arms.

"Sensei, really, she's not—" Guy was making his way over to Naomi before Tenten could get in his way.

"Naomi!" When the shaken girl heard her name and saw the green flash approaching, her hands turned to ice and her stomach churned. She began shaking her head even before he could voice anything further. He didn't notice. "On your feet! There's nothing better for a rejuvenating body than an expression of one's youth and skill!" Guy pulled Naomi to her feet by her arm, the motion making her stomach dance unpleasantly. Ignoring Tenten's audible objections, Guy all but dragged the blanched girl into the designated sparring area. The horrified expression she wore did little to calm Guy's enthusiasm. "Neji! It's your turn!" Naomi did not miss Tenten's startled gasp. _'This isn't happening…'_ She couldn't decide who this was more unfair for—her, because she had no idea what was going on, or Neji, because of his handicap. When Guy released her arm, Naomi used what little spare energy she had to keep her legs from giving out.

"Sensei, you cannot be serious! I was going to challenge Neji!" Lee's voice was loudly disappointed.

"Sensei! She's not up for this!" Tenten's voice was angry and quietly desperate. Neji hadn't moved from his shady tree. Though she couldn't be sure, Naomi thought she could see him glaring disgustedly at Guy.

"Neji! Let us not waste time! Naomi here is anxious to begin!" Naomi hadn't been prepared for the boisterous slap on the back from Guy. It was absurdly forceful, causing her to fall forward onto her hands and knees. The blow from Guy and the impact of the ground sent her stomach reeling.

Tenten saw Naomi's vomiting as enough of an excuse to call it a day.

vVvVv

"Ugh… God, Tenten… was he really gonna make me do it?" Naomi groaned and clutched her stomach as she sat with her newfound friend on a bench just outside of the imposing Hokage Tower. Tenten massaged the sickly girl's shoulder and nodded, biting her cheek.

"Yeah, when he gets something into his head there's no use trying to change his mind. It's the thick skull." Tenten nodded sullenly, and Naomi couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry he made you sick—he tends to have that effect on people." Naomi's laughter continued and Tenten smiled brightly, glad to be able to cheer her companion.

"So, are he and Lee…?"

"Related? You would think, wouldn't you?" Tenten chuckled. "No, Lee just idolizes Sensei."

"Oh…" Naomi wanted to ask _"Who in their right mind would idolize a man who never changed his leotard?"_, but left this question unvoiced. "Um, Tenten?"

"Hm?"

"Have I… have I done something to insult Neji? He hasn't said two words to me, but won't stop giving me these weird… looks." Tenten sighed and nodded resolutely.

"Don't worry, he's always been like that. You'll get used to the group dynamics soon enough. Lee and Sensei are the eccentrics, Neji's the arrogant brooder, and I'm... well, I'm just the most fantastic kunoichi 'round these parts." The two shared a laugh, Naomi pausing to ask "Is that slang for something?"

"Is what slang?"

"What you called yourself, 'kunoichi'." Tenten's laughter died quickly and she stared at Naomi with a hard expression of scrutiny. Naomi recoiled at the sudden change, about to stammer out an apology just as Tenten was about to open her mouth, but before either could make a sound, the others returned to the scene.

"Alright! It has been decided!" Guy's disappointment that he had gained neither girl's attention did not go unseen. Tenten's eyes remained fixated on Naomi's, trying to find something in the younger girl's cloudy stare. To resolve this, Guy slammed a hand onto Naomi's shoulder and jostled her slightly. "Naomi! After discussing the situation with Lady Tsunade, it has been decided that you will be spending your nights on the Hyuga compound, at least until Lady Haruno returns in triumph with her team!" Naomi blinked, tearing her eyes away from the still silent Tenten.

"Uh…um…I'm sorry, where?" As the pieces began to fall together, Naomi's eyes drifted slowly over to the arrogant brooder leaning against the tower's outer wall, arms folded and eyes closed. Tenten's voice from earlier that day rang through her head _"Oh, that's Neji Hyuga." 'Neji Hyuga… Hyuga… Hyuga compound…'_

"The Hyuga compound!" Guy exclaimed.

"But, wait, why? I thought… Tenten?" Naomi stammered, looking back to her friend for clarification, but Guy continued.

"Given your circumstances, Lady Tsunade believes this will be the most secure place for you to stay. One of the safest places to be in all of Konoha!" He rambled on, but Naomi wasn't listening. Her eyes were locked onto Neji, who had yet to give the situation any attention. As though feeling her eyes narrowed onto him, Neji's eyelids slowly lifted. He met Naomi's stare evenly, reading every expression, every sign of protest that flickered across her face. He said nothing, gave no indication of welcome or sympathy, and the look in his eyes made Naomi's blood run cold. All at once, she knew what that weird look she'd been getting from him all day was.

He watched her like she was an enemy.


	4. Chapter 4

Four: Pressure

The walk across town to the Hyuga compound with Neji was disconcertingly uneventful. Naomi kept her eyes forward and down, following her new keeper without a sound other than her breathing and footsteps. Neji didn't try to make conversation, and seemed perfectly suited to the silence. Naomi's heart was pounding, flooding her ears and aching in her chest. She wasn't really sure which she was more worried about—passing out or letting Neji see her pass out. For everyone's sake, she opted for not passing out. _'I feel like I'm being led to my own execution,'_ she mused, balling her hands into clammy fists at her sides.

Abruptly, Neji rounded a corner, Naomi nearly stumbling when she followed in haste for fear of getting lost in the chattering crowd. She found Neji, but, more impressively, she found the compound. An expanse of very neatly placed buildings enclosed by mostly iron fencing. Not too high to climb over, but high enough to send a message to any prying eyes or unwanted visitors. Neji strode up to the gate and pushed it open with ease, the hinges humming a practiced tune. Naomi found herself frozen at the entrance, staring into the compound unsurely. Neji didn't miss a beat. In his next step, he pivoted around and hit Naomi with a burning glare.

"I don't have time to play babysitter," he stated, tone even but words laced in acid. He approached Naomi, who found it difficult not to recoil. He gripped her upper arm—with no particular care—and pulled her through the gate. She stumbled, but caught herself, wrenching her arm free of Neji's hold. She did her best to glare at him indignantly, though highly doubted she succeeded. The same look of accusation she'd been receiving all day crept back into his penetrating stare, and she subconsciously took a slight step backward. In her fear, she became angry and defensive.

"Look, this wasn't my first choice either," she stated, voice not quite as strong as she would have liked. "I really don't know what I did to make you hate me, but if you could be so kind as to point me in the direction of where I'll be sleeping, I'll just go dig myself a hole and not bother you again until morning." Upon finishing, Naomi huffed and mustered a weak glare before her flare-up died away and she was left standing before Neji in a cold silence. His expression was unchanged. Without a word, he turned heel and began to stride away. Not wanting to be left standing there like an idiot and risk getting lost within the compound and making a further fool of herself, Naomi chanced it and followed him. When they came to the hardwood floors of the inner compound, he kicked off his sandals and she did the same, cradling them in the crook of one arm.

"This is where you stay." Naomi did not miss the threatening air of command hovering over the word "stay". Naomi slid open the indicated door and hadn't taken a step over the threshold before Neji was stalking off back they way they had come. She watched him go with a hard glare and then promptly entered her room. It was simple, with a small bunk, a practical dresser, mirror, window, and a smaller door which Naomi assumed led to an adjacent washroom. She paced slowly around the room, noting the cleanliness and complete lack of dust. On a whim, she pulled open the dresser's top drawer. Inside she found only a white, lightweight robe and some neatly folded socks. She sighed and fell backward onto the bed, draping an arm over her eyes.

It was some time later when Naomi awoke to a knock at her door. Sitting up too quickly, she shook her head to clear the dizziness and peered out her window. The sun was almost done setting, and she wondered what time it was as she stretched extravagantly. A second knock reminded her she had a visitor and she quickly stood up and tidied her hair in the mirror before calling to the person to please come in.

The door slid open gently and in entered a girl who looked no older than Naomi with long hair and bangs that Naomi could only describe as mauve. _'The Byakoo-whatever must be hereditary,'_ she concluded after noting that this girl shared Neji's oddly colored eyes. She was carrying a few neatly folded garments and a tray perched on top.

"Um… hi," Naomi chimed, remembering some social niceties as the smell of warm food met her nostrils. She moved to lighten the girl's delivery and placed the tray carefully on the dresser while the clothes were set on the bed.

"Hello, i-it's nice to meet you, Naomi." The softness and sincerity in the girl's voice forced Naomi to smile, and she felt her heart melting.

"You already know my name; I see word travels fast." The girl nodded and smiled.

"Y-yes, it does. I should h-have introduced myself. My name, is Hinata Hyuga." Naomi smiled warmly.

"Very nice to meet you, Hinata. And thank you so much for the food and clothes." As Naomi breathed in the sweet scent wafting from the tray on her dresser, she knew her thank-you couldn't possibly be any more sincere.

"I-I hope you enjoy it, and i-if the clothes don't fit, I-I can find you some others." Hinata began to fidget and Naomi couldn't help but place a hand gently on the girl's shoulder.

"That's very kind of you. Thank you, Hinata." Hinata smiled and nodded, quietly excusing herself to give Naomi time to eat and settle in. The food was gone in record time, and after trying on the few garments and deciding they fit well enough, Naomi collapsed in a heap onto her bed. Within seconds, she was no better than a corpse, sleeping a dreamless slumber.

vVvVv

The next morning, at some ungodly hour that Naomi didn't even want to try and conceive it to be, there was a sharp knock on her door. She buried her face deeper into her beautifully soft blankets and did her best to pretend she hadn't heard anything. Sleep crawled back over her thoughts, but was rudely ripped away once again with another, sharper knock. Naomi groaned and sat up, spitting out a venomous "What?" before waking up enough to hope she hadn't just snapped at Hinata. She rubbed her eyes and ran her fingers through her untidy brown hair before disentangling her legs from her blankets. This proved to be more difficult than originally expected, and just as her bedroom door slid open with a bit more force than necessary, she slipped from her bed and hit the floor with a heavy thud. From beneath the mass of blankets, Naomi growled and ripped the material away from her face, blowing the hair out of her eyes before noticing Neji glaring down at her from the doorway. She huffed and fixed him with a tired, half-lidded stare.

"You're just the person I was hoping to see at…" Naomi paused with a thoughtful murmur, her tired brain unable to function coherently. "…what time is it?"

"Five," came the sharply curt reply. Naomi let out a long, exasperated sigh.

"Right… five…" With a heave, Naomi managed to sit up, though her legs remained ensnared at incredibly awkward angles against the side of her bed. "What you want?" she slurred groggily, attempting to free the lower half of her body.

"There's nothing scheduled for my team until later this afternoon," Neji explained, sounding a bit pompous, in Naomi's opinion. She paused in her struggles and blinked up at Neji, mind racing to keep up with his use of complete sentences at this early hour.

"Um… okay… so… what do you want?" She spoke with a deliberate slowness, trying to express to Neji her inability to process any large quantities of information. The young man scowled and strode across the room, grabbing a portion of the blanket monster's girth and ripping it effortlessly away. Naomi's legs flailed free and she scrambled to stand, using the bed for support. Neji flung the blankets to the corner of the room.

"I want you to keep quiet and not disturb anyone on this compound until I come and retrieve you so we can meet up with my team."

_'Alright… now he's just talking more on purpose.'_ Awareness seeped into Naomi's mind, and she felt the last traces of sleep drop away from her body. "So… you woke me up at five in the morning… to tell me to be quiet?"

"And to not bother anyone."

"Yeah, caught that part… right, so… be seeing you, then." Naomi was rather proud of how dismissive she'd managed to make herself sound, and was all too pleased when Neji turned and strode out of her room.

Naomi sighed, staring forlornly at the window just in time to see the sun beginning to come up. She did not intend to become a morning person during her stay here. Suddenly, she quite missed her relentless blanket monster who was now crumpled in a defeated heap in the corner of her room, but found herself lacking the motivation to resuscitate it. Sighing again, Naomi pulled out one of the outfits Hinata had brought to her and headed into the washroom.

vVvVv

With as much silence as she could muster, Naomi slipped out of her bedroom and scampered down the hall. She found it surprisingly easy to retrace her steps from the previous day, and navigated her way around the compound until fresh air and sunlight hit her like a most welcome cannonball to the face. Breathing in as much air as her lungs could hold, she closed her eyes and smiled. _'Well, I'm not disturbing anyone yet,'_ she mused as she slipped into her sandals and headed for the gate. The early morning sun felt heavenly on her skin, and Naomi could have begun skipping and whistling a merry tune if a voice had not stopped her dead in her tracks and turned her skin to ice.

"Going somewhere?" Naomi whirled around, stammering, to see Neji approaching from the side of one of the buildings. A thin layer of sweat coated his skin, quite obvious from his lack of shirt, which he had draped over one shoulder. Naomi's blue eyes widened in intensified panic, mind subconsciously picking up on the fact that Neji could probably throw her halfway across the compound. Or break her neck, whichever the situation called for.

"I just—I was—Iwantedsomefreshair," she managed to spill out at an indistinguishable speed. Neji loomed in front of her, having paused only a few feet away. He scrutinized her mercilessly before pointing back toward the compound.

"Then I would recommend a walk through the gardens." Naomi did not miss the fact that this was in no way a recommendation. Slowly, carefully, Naomi picked her way around Neji, doing her best to seem casual as she made her way back toward the compound.

"Right then, thanks, I'll do that." She smiled cheerily, nearly breaking into a run once her back was to Neji. She suddenly couldn't wait to see the others again. Yes, even Guy. Even a man in a green leotard was more appealing than Naomi's current company.

It wasn't too hard to find the gardens. Actually, they were quite extensive, and remarkably beautiful. Flowers Naomi had no name for grew in thick bunches, resembling a rainbow that had crashed to the ground. She noticed that one of the flower patches matched exactly the embroidery on the maroon sundress Hinata had provided. Naomi had also put on the white leggings from the day before, for security. Unable to resist, Naomi bent down and plucked one of the long-stemmed flowers, tucking it securely behind her ear. Squinting up into the clear spread of sky, Naomi noticed it wasn't even close to noon yet, and it would still be quite some time before Neji would be "retrieving" her to meet the others. She sneered.

"He orders me around and treats me like… like something that he can order around." Naomi huffed and bit her cheek, pacing through the garden until she found a small clear patch of grass to sit down in. "I wonder if he knows that buying properly sized panties will keep them from bunching up all of the time." Naomi shared a laugh with herself, falling back into the grass and stretching in the sun. For once, she didn't fall to sleep, but instead settled for a state of half-consciousness. She was aware of the outside world, but really only paid attention to the thoughts streaming through her head.

How did she get here, and why was no one trying to get her home? She missed Sakura's sisterly companionship, and Tenten's soothing camaraderie, even though the last time she'd seen the spunky brunette was during a moment of unexpected tension. Naomi's brow furrowed and she bit her cheek. She didn't understand how she just… didn't understand. Anything. Who were these people? Where was she, exactly? A soft breeze danced over the pensive girl's face, picking up until it became of cool gust of wind. Naomi shivered, slowly opening her eyes. The sky had become darker, making the white buildings of the compound seem grey and decrepit. She sat up and rubbed her arms. The wind was annoyingly cold now.

"_Naomi." _The girl started at the gentle sound of her name, eyes scanning the garden for other signs of life.

"Hello? Hinata, is that you?" Naomi got to her feet and stretched. Her muscles were stiff and her joints popped unpleasantly. "Hinata?"

"_Naomi…" _The voice was further away.

"Neji must be looking for me," she mused, even though he should know that Naomi would be in the garden. Sighing, Naomi picked her way out of the flower patches and made her way to the front of the compound. What she saw when she got there caused her heart to leap into a panicked frenzy. The iron gates were destroyed, the one remaining door hanging on a single, broken hinge. The ground was torn up and decorated with jagged ruts and gashes, as though lightning had ripped through the earth. Everything was silent. Naomi's eyes darted around, frantically searching for any familiar face. She wanted to call out, but didn't dare make a sound for fear of drawing unwanted attention to herself. _'What happened?'_

Slowly, Naomi walked toward the gates, body tense and unsteady. The wind picked up again, and she had to brace against the force to keep from toppling over. When it suddenly switched directions, however, she was forced to fall forward onto her hands and knees. The wind bore down onto her and her arms gave out. Naomi huddled on her side, clutching the sides of her head to keep the roar out of her ears. Slowly, the screech of the wind began to increase, gaining strength until all Naomi could hear were people screaming all around her. Screaming in fear, screaming in pain—screaming for mercy. The ground shook beneath her, and Naomi's body began to tremble. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and without thinking, her arm shot out and grabbed on to something warm.

She opened her eyes.

Naomi was back in the garden, the warm sun bearing down on her and a gentle breeze wiping away the cold sweat that had gathered at her temples. She felt the lush grass beneath her and the smell of flowers permeated the air. When she was able to focus, she saw Neji kneeling beside her, reaching for her as though to stir her awake. Their eyes met, Naomi staring as if she were unable to recognize the young man at her side, and Neji mercilessly scrutinizing Naomi's panicked face. Panting quietly, Naomi attempted to stammer out something coherent, but failed on all accounts. When her eyes flickered down, she saw that her hand had somehow managed to latch onto Neji's wrist as he had been reaching down to her. She could feel the tension in the muscles along his forearm, and quickly released her desperate hold.

"I…" she began, unable to piece together any semblance of an explanation. "I mean… the sun… I overheated." Pathetic attempt; Neji wasn't even bothering to listen. Abruptly, he stood, reversing the hold from before and yanking Naomi to her feet. He held on until she caught her balance, glaring at her with those accusing eyes.

"Who are you?" he snapped, refastening his grip. Naomi stared at him, residual panic filtering through her eyes.

"I… I'm Naomi—"

"No," he spat, voice hard. Naomi tried to shrink away, mind still on edge, but could not pull away. "Who are you really?" Naomi had no answer. Fear still ran through her veins, and all at once, her vision came back to her. The screams, the pain, the terror—her eyes began to water, but she blinked the tears away and bit her cheek, her jaw setting in anger.

"Let go," she snapped, trying to wrench her arm free. Neji was hardly fazed by her efforts.

"I don't buy any of this," he remarked coldly. "This show you're putting on for everyone else, this air of naivety and helplessness…it's all a lie." Naomi couldn't even comprehend what she was being accused of.

"I'm not—"

"No, of course you're not," Neji mocked, releasing his hold on Naomi's wrist. She immediately cradled her arm against her chest, massaging the now tender area. For a few tense moments, Neji stood before her, fixating Naomi with a glare that could set an entire forest ablaze. She swallowed dryly, doing her best not to back away or give an attempt at fleeing. Scowling, Neji turned and began stalking for the front of the compound.

"It's time to meet the others," he called back not a second before rounding the corner. Naomi exhaled, feeling her entire body weaken as all of her anger and fear were expelled. On shaky legs, she trailed after Neji, heart pounding slightly as she followed the same pathway in her vision from the garden to the gates. Relief swarmed over her when everything was how it was supposed to be—calm and pristine. Jogging to catch up to Neji, she kept a decent amount of space between them and followed without a word.

She would not let him bully her into defeat.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:** So, it's been, almost literally, a million years since I've updated this story. Kudos to anyone still reading, and my apologies for my absence. I hope you can forgive me and continue to enjoy reading :) Comments appreciated! (this chapter is an extra long peace-offering)

Five: Complications

They met the others on a bridge at the edge of town that spanned a cool, clear stream. Naomi waved unsurely to Tenten, who smiled and nodded in her direction despite the reminiscent look of question lingering in her large brown eyes. Guy and Lee were as exuberant as always, and both beamed when they saw Neji and Naomi approaching. The latter retreated to Tenten's side distancing herself from the arrogant brooder as much as possible. Tenten gave her a look that asked how her stay went, and Naomi could only shake her head in exasperation. Tenten nodded sympathetically, giving Naomi an understanding nudge with her elbow.

"Ah, yes, a complete team plus one, excellent. Students! Lady Tsunade has assigned us a mission." Tenten eyed Guy warily, gaze flickering back and forth from him to Naomi, whose skin began to prickle with nerves. _'Mission?'_ Naomi's eyes shot to Tenten, narrowing in confusion.

"Sensei!" Lee stood at attention. "What is our assignment?"

"Right! We are to deliver a package to the Matsuri family in the market just a short ways outside of Konoha. It is vital that the family receive this package today, or they may lose their home." Tenten sighed quietly and Neji clearly was not interested in spending time completing such a menial task. Lee, on the other hand, acted as though this were a challenge presented by the gods.

"Sensei, I will ensure the safe delivery of this very important package!" Guy put his hand on Lee's head.

"I know, Lee—we all will work for success! Meet me by the gates; I must retrieve our delivery from Lady Tsunade." As the group made their way to the entrance of Konoha, Naomi trailed behind, eyes downcast and mind scrambling. The last time she'd been outside of these walls, a crazy man in a tree had attacked her. Subconsciously, Naomi's fingers came up to trace the healing slices in her upper arm where she'd been hit. She shivered at the memory, and her steps slowed even more. The group was well ahead of her now, but the people around were sparse and so there was hardly a risk of being separated.

She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to deliver this package. She didn't want to stay at the Hyuga compound. She didn't want to be lost anymore. She just wanted to get home. _'This isn't fair… no one is helping me.'_ Naomi stopped and closed her eyes, sighing quietly. She didn't care if they went without her. She didn't care about anything in this place. Behind their lids, Naomi could feel her eyes beginning to burn and she quickly forced the tears away. She tilted her head back until the afternoon sun blanketed her face, and she inhaled deeply. _'I can get through this… I can figure this out.' _Releasing her breath in a long sigh, Naomi's shoulders slumped and she opened her eyes. The group had gone far on ahead, almost to the gates from what Naomi could tell. But when she looked again, she could only make out Tenten and Lee. _'Where's—' _And then she saw him.

In the shade of a quaint looking building halfway between Naomi and the others, Neji had paused to wait. Even at a distance, Naomi could see the accusation shining in his eyes and her spine went rigid. Briefly, she wondered how _he_ could see _her_ from so far away, but quickly pushed this curiosity aside. She'd learned not to question Neji's ability to cope with his visual handicap.

"He thinks I was trying to slip away, I'm sure…" she murmured begrudgingly, trudging after the others, though quickening her pace when she realized exactly how far ahead they'd gotten. She said nothing as she passed Neji's waypoint, and kept her eyes forward as if he didn't exist… but she was well aware of him being there. He walked behind her, to her left, like a guard escorting a prisoner from one cell to the next. Naomi's palms became clammy, and in the tense silence it became harder and harder to focus on keeping her eyes forward. Her skin prickled, both with anxiety and agitation, and soon enough she found Neji's presence unbearable. Abruptly, she whipped her head around to glare at the Hyuga, mouth open and ready to spit acid.

"_Look, _I—"

"Don't bother." Naomi's mouth snapped shut and her shoulders tensed. _'I really hate you,'_ she continued in her head, bringing her eyes forward again just in time to sidestep a wandering citizen. To her dismay, Neji's voice, always so even and controlled, continued from behind her. "I don't care what objections you have. Until we know who you are—who you _really_ are—you are a danger to this village and will be treated as such." Naomi bristled, about to exclaim that they _did_ know who she really was, that they knew as much as she knew, but they had reached the others at the bridge and Guy had just come along with the package. It was time to head out, back into the land of crazy treemen.

vVvVv

The trip to the Matsuri family's farm seemed to drag on, but was all around uneventful. Lee insisted that they sprint the last three miles to the market, and Guy had jumped on the idea, but Tenten reminded them both that Naomi was still liable to become ill under physical strain; they relented. Nudging Naomi playfully, the kunoichi murmured "You're a very convenient excuse." She winked and the two laughed under their breath.

They arrived around what Naomi guessed to be three in the afternoon, and Guy rapped excitedly on the door with Lee by his side.

"Lady Matsuri! You're package has arrived safely!" he reported as soon as the old wooden door creaked open. A middle-aged woman greeted them with a tired smile. Naomi could tell that she looked older than she was—probably the result of years of hard labor. Naomi hung toward the back of the group, phasing out of the conversation. Her stormy blue eyes drifted around the area, appreciating the simplicity of the old farmhouse and the well cared for piece of land. A wisp of color at the corner of the building caught her attention and a warm smile broke across her expression.

A young girl, no older than four years, was peeking around the corner, staring in wonder at the team. Her brown eyes were full of excitement, and Naomi slipped away from the group to approach her. Turning the corner, she crouched in front of the child, who looked as if she'd been caught doing something wrong and shuffled her feet shyly.

"Hello," Naomi said quietly, smiling and trying to catch the young girl's downcast eyes. "I'm Naomi. Do you have a name?" The girl nodded, but said nothing. The older female sat back on her heels, wondering if she'd be able to get a word from the child. "Well, what is it?" There was silence beneath Guy's booming laughter from the front of the house.

"I'm, um… I'm Hana." Naomi's grin widened.

"What a pretty name, Hana." Suddenly, Hana's eyes met Naomi's and she smiled brightly, pleased that the stranger liked her name.

"Thanks. I like your name, too." Naomi was about to thank the girl, when she noticed that her large brown eyes were now insistently glancing at Naomi's ear. Quizzically, Naomi reached a hand up and was surprised to feel something that was not her ear, until she remembered that she still had a blossom tucked there from her earlier visit to the garden. Knowingly, she removed the flower and held it out to Hana. The girl's petite fingers touched the fuchsia petals unsurely.

"Here," Naomi encouraged, tucking the long stem behind Hana's ear. "Beautiful." The girl was elated, clasping her hands together excitedly. She said nothing as she watched Naomi, her eyes scanning the older girl's face for something. It seemed odd, but children often did odd things. All of the sudden, Hana threw her arms out to the side and exclaimed "Buzzzzzzzz!" The movement caused Naomi to jump, but then laugh as the girl ran behind the house. Shaking her head, Naomi stood and returned to the others.

"Oh, Naomi, I was just about to call you," Tenten remarked. Guy jumped in, already beginning his march back down the road.

"Yes! Impeccable timing! It is time for us to be off—back to Konoha!"

"Where did you go?" Tenten prompted. Naomi gestured to the side of the farmhouse.

"There was a little girl; she was so cute." Still beaming, Naomi turned to Lady Matsuri, who lingered in the doorway to see the team off. "Your daughter, Hana—she's quite charming." The woman smiled, but the expression seemed unsure—Naomi could see in her eyes that she was far off with her thoughts.

"Yes… yes, thank you," she managed, tone polite. Naomi did not miss the troubled, if not deeply thoughtful, look on the woman's face as the group headed down the dirt road.

There is this unnerving feeling one experiences at times when something seems wrong in the air. Naomi had this feeling as they walked back through the quiet market. She kept her eyes forward, but did not miss the expressions on the faces of the people they passed. _'Something's bothering all of them, just like the woman at the farm,'_ she concluded. Guy and Lee were chatting boisterously, oblivious to the tension Naomi seemed to be feeling deep beneath her skin. Tenten was less talkative, but just as clueless. And Neji… Naomi chanced a glance toward the brooder, somehow relieved to see he'd also picked up on a certain strangeness hovering in the air. It wasn't Naomi just making things up. With this reassurance, she nudged Tenten quietly.

"Hey, Tenten, look at the people here…" Tenten blinked, eyes scanning the small crowds.

"What about them?"

"Just… look. When we pass, they all look either concerned or…"

"…or angry," Tenten finished, brow furrowed. "Well, you know," she mused, tone thoughtful. "Sometimes these outlier towns don't trust anyone from the villages they border. They don't really live easy lives, while most people have it pretty nice in Konoha. They're also popular victims of rogue shinobi and other tyrannical groups."

"But I thought Konoha helped them?"

"We try, but it's kind of a difficult thing to police, you know?" Naomi nodded in understanding, but an uneasiness still sent goosebumps down her spine._ 'Rogue shinobi?'_ The phrase seemed to both confuse and enlighten Naomi pondered, she felt the beginnings of a nasty headache starting up, and knew the six mile walk back to the village gates would be much longer than the walk to the farm.

vVvVv

They'd be meeting up later that evening for some "youthful sparring and victorious rejuvenation", but for now the group had been dismissed. Neji seemed more silent, more thoughtful than usual on the walk back to the Hyuga compound, if that was even possible. Naomi could only assume that the attitude in the village had bothered him as much as it had her; she knew he was oddly perceptive that way. As they passed through the iron gates, Naomi couldn't control her curiosity. Mustering up the courage and straightening her shoulders, she spoke up.

"Hey, Neji?" He said nothing and continued walking. _'Well, he can't turn off his ears.'_ "Listen, did you see—" Immediately she changed her wording, feeling suddenly insensitive toward the young man's eyesight. "—or, rather, did you _notice_ the people in that town?"

"Of course," he spat. Alright, she admitted that the question, out of context, was stupid. Someone would have to be blind and deaf to walk through a market town and not notice another person. Mentally, Naomi kicked herself.

"Right, no, I mean, yes, of course you did. But…" She steadied her thoughts before continuing. "Didn't you get the feeling that something was… wrong? I mean, I did, and it looked as if you might have…" There was a long pause as they continued making their way across the grounds. When Neji spoke, his voice was unnervingly calculated; the calmness made Naomi uneasy.

"Yes, I did notice." Naomi nodded, gaze trained forward.

"Right…" she murmured. She was hoping Neji might offer his insight without further prompting, but this did not seem promising. "Well… what do you think the problem was?" Neji's responses suddenly became sharper, his tone hard.

"What do _you_ think the problem was?"

"What?" Naomi stammered indignantly.

"Answer the question." Naomi's confusion was clear on her face; Neji's expression remained the same.

"I don't… how should I know what the problem was?"

"Because," Neji snapped, now whirling around to stand in front of a startled Naomi, eyes burning into her. "They were all staring at _you_."

Naomi felt the blood drain from her face as Neji's words—his accusations— cut through her. Her mind raced back to the trip, scrambling to piece together what had really happened. The faces of the towns people, the sharpness in their eyes, their expressions… _'Oh my God…'_ Neji was right. But _how_ could he be right? The situation wasn't making sense. Naomi had never been to that town before. Well… as far as she knew, she'd never been there before. _'What am I forgetting?'_ The headache from before began to worsen and she reflexively brought a palm up to her temple, stepping away from Neji to put breathable space between them. The tension he created was indescribable.

"No… they weren't," she stated, denial and apprehension clear in her wavering voice.

"They were," Neji assured her, tone cold.

"But… _why?_" Naomi verged on sounding desperate now. The pain in her skull intensified and she screwed her eyes shut. Impatient, Neji reduced the space Naomi had created and gripped her wrist tightly, pulling her hand away from her head. Naomi's eyes, clouded in pain and fear, snapped open, locking onto the young man's penetrating glare. Her breath hitched. That look in his eyes… he looked like… _'Like he could kill me.' _No, not that he could, Naomi already knew he was strong enough for that. It was more that he _would_.

"You tell me," the Hyuga spat. Naomi's skin grew cold beneath his grip—she shook her head meekly.

"Neji, listen," she began, hardly sounding convincing. "I really, _really_ don't know. I can't remember anything." There was silence. Naomi's muscles were quivering with tension, burned with rigidity. She searched her captor's face, eyes pleading with him to listen—really listen—to what she was saying. "Why won't you believe me?"

"Because the evidence against you far exceeds any which might be in your favor." She was about to stammer something out in response, but he continued, cutting off her efforts. "But as it stands, I can't do anything about it. Not yet. Suspicion from a single shinobi would not justify true condemnation." Rather roughly, he dropped Naomi's wrist, not moving away. _'He hates it…'_ Cruel realization washed over her, and she inadvertently backed away. _'He hates that he can't hurt me yet.'_

vVvVv

Like some sort of godsend, Tenten had come to collect Naomi early for the walk to the training area. "We haven't had the chance to talk in a little while," she explained, not missing the glare of disapproval from Neji. Naomi only nodded, inexplicably relieved to have a friendly face nearby. Tenten did not miss this fact, either.

"So," she began after they had left earshot of the compound. "How are things going with your stay?" She knew they weren't going well, and this invitation was all Naomi needed to begin spilling everything to the kunoichi. She ranted about the disrespect she had to put up with every second of the day, about how she had no freedom to do anything (which she kind of understood, but still), and about how she was sure Neji was going to smother her with a pillow one of these nights.

"He really hates me," Naomi blurted, feeling both strung-out and refreshed after having gotten everything off of her chest.

"He's kind of just… _like_ that," Tenten tried to explain.

"No," Naomi corrected immediately. "No, you don't understand. I can see it. They way he looks at me, especially when there's no one else around. I can see it, Tenten…" Her voice sounded tight, and Naomi paused to check her emotions. "It's just… Tenten, when he looks at me, I know… I just know."

"Know what?" There was a long pause at this point, both girls quiet as they walked through the village. Naomi was reluctant to admit this out loud; keeping it to herself almost made it seem untrue.

"That he'd kill me if given the chance," she spat out at last. Tenten's mouth formed a hard line. Even for Neji, that evaluation seemed a bit harsh. But she couldn't very easily ignore the concern shining in Naomi's eyes.

"Alright," she said at last.

"Alright? Alright what?"

"I'll just… I don't know. I'll talk to him." Naomi's shoulders noticeably slumped, a tension lifting away from her. She expressed her thanks to Tenten, and their walk resumed in thoughtful silence.

When they reached the designated training field, Guy and Lee were already there. From a distance, Naomi couldn't tell who was who. Apparently they had decided to begin early and were sparring with one another. _'Hardly seems ethical, given their age difference…'_ Naomi thought to herself, stomach flipping when she saw how fast they were both moving and... how _hard_ they were hitting. Impulsively, she gripped Tenten's arm, unwilling to get any closer. The kunoichi gave her friend a questioning stare, but said nothing, simply encouraging her to keep walking. They approached just as Lee was seemingly blasted away from Guy. Naomi bit back a startled scream and resisted the urge to run over and see if everything was okay. Tenten was calm, so she could only assume that she was supposed to calm, too.

"Ah, Sensei, I am sorry I did not do better," Lee announced, rubbing a welt on the back of his head and brushing dirt from his knee.

"Nonsense, Lee! That was an excellent display. Award yourself with one hundred victory laps!"

"Yes, Sensei!" And just like that, Lee was gone. _'He runs inhumanly fast…'_ Naomi thought, dreading what Guy had in mind for the rest of the troop. Neji made his appearance then, standing expectantly on the opposite side of Tenten as Guy advanced upon them.

"I have been struck with brilliance this evening! Naomi!" The girl started at her name.

"Um, yes?"

"I speak for everyone when I say that we are very anxious to witness your youth!" Naomi could only stare, tremors beginnings in her knees. _'Witness… my youth?' _"So, to inspire you—Tenten and Neji! Please step forward! The victor shall be rewarded with facing me—" Here he inserted a wink and a smile. "—and Naomi shall have the privilege of facing the other!" Naomi's knees buckled, so she sat down to conceal a collapse. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Tenten's ever-encouraging smile.

"Don't worry," she whispered. "It's basically a guarantee that you'll be facing me—it'll be fun." Fun. _Fun_ is not a word Naomi would have ever thought peg onto this experience. Beneath her terror, however, she couldn't help but feel curious. How would Neji handle sparring? And why was Tenten so sure she'd lose? Surely she had the upper-hand, having no physical handicap to speak of. As she pondered this, the two chosen individuals headed for the middle of the field, taking stance several yards from one another. Tenten's large brown eyes were bright and ready—Neji's were impassable.

"Alright! On my count," Guy called. "One…" Naomi held her breath. "…twothreego!" The fight was remarkable. Tenten had advanced quickly, pulling projectiles out of God-knows-where, and sending them straight for Neji. When not a single one landed, Naomi became dizzy. _'What… what's he doing?'_ She couldn't follow the Hyuga's movements as he basically danced around all of Tenten's assaults. And the light… she could see mild disturbances in the air around him each time Neji made a move. What was that light? Grass and dirt stirred into the wind, forcing Naomi to shield her eyes. _'He's hardly touching her…'_ Naomi observed, but could definitely see signs of exhaustion blanketing Tenten's fiery expression. It didn't make sense. _'How does he do that?'_

And no sooner had it started, it seemed, than Tenten was thrown to the ground with Neji crouched over her, his palm hovering just above her chest. He straightened and looked to Guy, who was beaming.

"Extraordinary! How any person could not be inspired by your youth is beyond comprehension! This spar is over—Neji is the victor!" The young man didn't appear particularly pleased, but a slight edge had—for just a moment—left his expression. He reached down a hand and pulled Tenten to her feet. She sighed, but her smile was sincere.

"Man, nice going, Neji," she remarked. "As always." And, much to Naomi's surprise, he responded.

"Your training shows," was all he said, but that one comment sounded so uncharacteristic of him that Naomi wasn't sure she'd heard correctly. _'So he really is just a million times worse with me,'_ Naomi thought despairingly. Guy's voice brought her to attention, and it was then she realized she'd yet to stop holding her breath. She exhaled loudly, looking back and forth between Tenten and the overly exuberant man.

"Excellent, just excellent, Tenten. Now, if you will! Please engage our Naomi in youthful battle! Naomi! On your feet!" She'd become ghostly white in the face, her hands trembling unabashedly. Tenten smiled reassuringly as Naomi stood. "Right! Now, are you ready, Naomi?"

"Actually, I—"

"Excellent! On my count!" Blood pounded in the girl's ears and she could just barely hear Guy call out "One". She felt the onset of tunnel-vision and had to rub her eyes to keep them focused. A nagging pain drilled into the back of her head, but she hardly noticed, given the current situation. While she waited for Guy's "twothreego", she scrambled for some idea as to how she would get through this without major injury or embarrassment. Suddenly, however, there was a distraction. Someone was calling her name.

"_Naomi._" Confused, the girl blinked and looked over her shoulder, peering into the distance. Was Lee calling to the group from far off in his run?

"_Naomi…_" No, it wasn't Lee. It sounded farther away now. Shaking her head, remembering she should be focusing, Naomi turned back around and gasped. Her eyes widened onto the scene before her.

The field was now in utter disarray. Mounds of earth had been torn up and scattered across the perimeter, branches from the bordering forest had somehow been thrown into the grounds' center, and the others were nowhere to be seen. _'It's like…_' Like a storm, a powerful one, had passed through. The sky was dark, and a powerful wind picked up, nearly blowing Naomi flat onto the ground. She braced herself, the air whistling past her ears. Then the screaming began. She gripped her head, unable to force out a sound, and tried to block out the horrifying chorus of pain. There was then a different sound beneath the wind and screams, one that she couldn't quite place. It was low, and constant, like… it sounded like—

"Naomi!" the voice was Guy's.

Her eyes snapped open, mind racing to comprehend the scene laid out before it. In her confusion, she stumbled backward, her arms dropping away from the hold they'd taken on Tenten. She felt something in her hand and looked down to see one of Tenten's throwing knives clutched there with white knuckles. Naomi dropped it like it was on fire.

"What?" she stammered breathlessly, still backpedaling as her eyes surveyed the area. It looked untouched, relatively speaking. Tenten's weapons were scattered, the aforementioned girl watching Naomi as she rubbed her neck tenderly.

"Damn," she coughed out. "I said 'fun', Naomi. Not 'crazy'."

"What?" she repeated. There were eyes on her in every direction. The light from Tenten's earlier expression had made way for caution, and Neji… well, from what Naomi could tell, he'd been about to step in before Guy had called for the spar to end.

"Well! It seems Naomi is victorious this evening!" Guy's light mood was miraculous. "Team! I am dismissing you. Go forth tonight and hone your youthfulness!" Naomi ran to Tenten on weak legs, her body feeling absolutely drained. To her horror, Tenten stepped backward. It was the slightest movement, fueled by uncertainty, but it was enough for Naomi to see. She slowed and paused a few feet away, hands held out submissively.

"What?" was all she could spit out. "What… what happened? Tenten…" Naomi reached for her companion. Tenten was silent for a moment.

"You won," was all she said. The pain in Naomi's head from before was horrid now; she clenched her jaw against it.

"Please, Tenten… what happened? _How_ did I win?" She saw now that Tenten's throat was bleeding. Not much, but the sight stirred nausea deep within Naomi's stomach. "Oh my God… are you alright?"

"I'm fine." The answer came too quickly.

"Tenten, I—"

"Please, Naomi. Stop. I'm fine." It was clear in her expression that Tenten felt more emotional pain than physical. She'd been so warm and understanding toward Naomi and had promised to take it easy. She had not been repaid in kind. "I'll see you tomorrow." Leaving her weapons scattered about, Tenten turned heel and left the premises. Naomi watched her go, her heart aching. She'd hurt Tenten. She had no idea how, but… she'd hurt her. Sighing forlornly, she sunk to the ground, resting her face in her palms. _'What's happening?'_

"So." Neji's flat tone forced her to look up and meet his ruthless eyes. "It seems you aren't as helpless as you've been leading everyone to believe." Naomi scooted backward before getting to her feet, eyes never leaving the jounin before her. She put up her hands as if to placate the young man.

"Neji, you _really _need to believe me. I—"

"You what?" He spat, stepping forward. Naomi hadn't the slightest idea how she was going to explain herself, because she hadn't the slightest idea what she was trying to explain. But that was fine, because Neji spoke for her. "Are you going to tell me you've told us as much as you know? That you have no idea where you're from, or how you just managed to spar against Tenten and come out unscathed? Not just unharmed, but also victorious?" He was too close now. Naomi matched each of his forward steps with a backwards one of her own.

"Yes!" she blurted out. "Yes, I am!" When he moved, Naomi didn't know what hit her. Without warning, Neji had swept Naomi's legs out from under her and pinned her face-down, twisting her arm painfully against her back. She felt his knee against her spine and squirmed, spitting grass and dirt from her mouth. The pressure on her ribcage kept her from speaking—it almost kept her from breathing.

"You think you can play me for a fool?" He spat, voice toxic. "This act of yours, it's falling apart at your feet. And the day—the _moment_—when you make your one mistake and everything comes crashing down…" He jerked on her arm and Naomi yelped, convinced he was going to break it. "I'll be right there to watch you burn."


	6. Chapter 6

Six: Wash Out

One morning—at a very reasonable hour—Naomi was stirred from her restless sleep by a light knock on her bedroom door. She blinked sleep from her eyes, trying to catch the last images of her dream before they faded into blackness. What had she been dreaming of? She remembered voices, distant voices, and one of them she very nearly recognized. It was someone she knew, a person whose name she could just barely remember… A second, louder knock and blessedly familiar voice brought the girl to attention.

"Naomi, it's time to wake up and say hello." Suddenly, all sleep drained from Naomi's eyes and she nearly jumped out of bed. It was Sakura's voice.

"Just a minute!" she called back, quickly combing her fingers through her short brown locks and throwing on a deep blue kimono that had some sort of serpent embroidered into the cloth. She stumbled as she made for the door, yanking it open and beaming as a pair of emerald eyes greeted her.

"Long time no see—how're you feeling?"

"I'm…" Naomi hesitated. _'I'm exhausted, terrified, more confused than ever, in trouble, restless…'_ "…I'm great." Without much thought, she embraced the pink-haired kunoichi. Sakura was one of the few people left who didn't have that look of wariness in her eyes when she saw Naomi. Mostly because she hadn't seen Naomi since leaving Tsunade's office those days ago. Sakura laughed, gently removing Naomi's arms from her shoulders.

"Alright, alright." She turned and smiled at Hinata, who, Naomi hated to admit, had since gone unnoticed. "Thank you for showing me here, Hinata." The shyer girl nodded and politely excused herself. Sakura looked back to Naomi, hands on her hips. "Want to grab some lunch with me? My treat—to make up for having to ditch you with Lady Tsunade." Naomi laughed nervously, remembering how the Hokage demanded a certain level of respect with her simple presence.

"Yes, of course. That'd be nice." And with that, the pair was off. Naomi couldn't contain her excitement as they passed beautifully decorated shops and store fronts that wafted heavenly aromas into the street. Sakura nearly had to restrain her.

"Relax, Naomi. You act as though you haven't been through Konoha—" The look on Naomi's face cut her off and realization blanketed her eyes. "Oh. You mean, you really haven't?" Naomi shook her head.

"No, not really. I mean, I've walked straight through, but never really had any chance to look around. It's wonderful here." Sakura smiled, letting her eyes drift over the buildings and roads that she'd had memorized years ago.

"Yeah," she sighed. "Yeah, it is, isn't it?" They found a small tea shop near the center of the village and sat at one of the outside tables where the sun drenched the polished wood with its light. Naomi stretched in the warmth. It felt so good to be in a place where she didn't feel smothered. _'Or hated by everyone,'_ she mused. Sakura ordered a pot of herbal tea and told Naomi to pick out anything she wanted for lunch. "We get paid for missions, usually," she explained. "I got some extra for the last one because I had to help Naruto out of… well, let's just say out of a bind, and leave it at that." They both laughed. Naomi had only met Naruto briefly, but could somehow completely understand what Sakura was saying.

"Have you lived here your whole life?" Naomi inquired, azure eyes watching the people that passed in the street.

"Yup. Born and raised. I couldn't really imagine living anywhere else. What about you? Where did you grow up?" Naomi opened her mouth, ready with an answer, until something clicked. She didn't have any idea. Sakura caught on quickly and offered a quizzical hum to fill the silence. "Still not much better with the memories, huh?" Naomi's brow furrowed and she nodded, turning Sakura's question over in her head. _'Where did I… grow up?'_ She could have sworn that she at least knew _that_. What else didn't she know that she didn't know?

"Yeah. Nothing's really come back to me. But... it hasn't been very long, right? I mean… things like this can just—"

"—take awhile. Yeah, they can. Don't worry about it." Sakura smiled, sipping expertly at her tea while Naomi drank a bit more gingerly. Inside, Sakura felt a small twinge of disappointment—she'd been looking forward to coming back and hearing about some progress. She was awfully curious about Naomi… But this disappointment was outweighed by sympathy for the girl—it must be so hard for her right now, not knowing anything about herself. "Has Guy's team brought you along on any missions?" Naomi perked up, glad to have a question she could answer.

"Yes, one. It was just a package delivery to outside of Konoha—I forget the town name, but it wasn't very far." She wondered if there were any missions that the team _wouldn't_ take her on, but couldn't think of any good examples or reasons why.

"What else have they had you doing? If I know Guy, he's kept you busy, am I right?" Naomi chuckled dryly. Oh, Guy…

"Yeah. I go with the team whenever they're called together—not really allowed to be alone during the day." Sakura nodded, understanding. "I've watched them spar, and then—oh!" She suddenly remembered something she'd been meaning to ask. "Sakura, you know about… about Byakoogun, right?"

"Byakugan," she corrected politely. "And, yes, why?"

"Well, sorry but, could you maybe just explain to me, exactly, what it is?" Naomi remembered seeing Neji spar with Tenten, and her astonishment had not lessened since then. Sakura smiled, laughter shining in her light green eyes.

"Of course. So, basically what it is, is an ability that can be passed down through a family's blood—in this case, it's the Hyugas' blood. When in use, it allows a person to…" Sakura paused, wondering how to explain things as simply as possible. "Alright, well, it basically means that a person can see everything and everywhere, practically simultaneously, up to a certain distance. Neji for example, I _think_ can see up to… oh, say, seven hundred, eight hundred meters away?" Naomi felt her jaw hit the table. Sakura laughed. "Yeah, it's an impressive trait. I take it you've seen Neji spar, then?" Naomi could only nod, unable to fathom what Sakura had just told her. So, it wasn't a handicap at all. In fact, it was quite the significant advantage.

"Sakura, when you say 'everything'…"

"That means everything, to any depth. Think of it almost like x-ray vision, only much more advanced, and much more useful. It's actually a pretty dangerous thing to be up against."

"Wow…" Naomi breathed. That explained a lot, but also raised so many questions that Naomi didn't feel she had the energy to ask. She only shook her head, dumbfounded.

"It's fairly well-known…" Sakura prompted. "I'm surprised you've never heard of it."

"Well," Naomi cleared her throat, shrugging lightly. "Maybe I have."

"Yeah, maybe. Anyways, continue what you were saying before the question came up. You were talking about watching the team spar."

"Right. Well, there was one time…"

"Oh boy—Guy had you spar with someone, didn't he." Not a question. Naomi nodded, swallowing dryly.

"Well… how'd it go?"

"I… I'm really not sure," Naomi began, eyes staring off to the side as she thought back to the day. "Two days ago," she continued. "I was matched with Tenten."

"Oh," Sakura looked a little relieved. "I bet she didn't push you." The look in Naomi's eyes caught Sakura's attention. "She didn't… right?"

"No, no she didn't. It… it was me, actually. I… I won." Sakura blinked in surprise, but let Naomi continue. "But, Sakura, please, listen. I just… I _need_ you to listen. I need _someone_ to listen." The outright desperation in Naomi's voice could not go unnoticed and Sakura took on a serious expression.

"Okay, okay… I'm listening," she assured, eager for Naomi to finish.

"Alright… well, I won, but… I haven't the faintest idea how. Something… something just happened, and when I realized what was going on, the fight was over and I had Tenten from behind with a… with a knife—like that one!" Naomi gestured urgently to the butt end of a kunai that was peeking out of Sakura's belt holster. "It was in my hand, pressed to her neck. She was bleeding, I… I don't _know_ what happened. To me it felt like one second was one thing and in the next second… it was over." For the time being, Naomi left out the part about hearing voices and witnessing delusions; she needed Sakura to believe her, not have her committed. The pink-haired kunoichi was silent, eyes far away as she took in everything Naomi had told her. The other girl fidgeted uneasily, wondering how Sakura would react to her farfetched story. At last, the answer came.

"I think… that I believe you," she remarked, tone level but eyes hard as they locked with Naomi's; she was taking a chance trusting her on this. Naomi slumped with relief, resting her elbows on the table and pressing her forehead into her palms.

"Thank you," she murmured. "Thank you. And, I think… I think that I'm _trying_ to remember things. Like… physically trying to bring memories back. See, I get these awful headaches sometimes, and—"

"Naomi." The quiet firmness in Sakura's voice made Naomi's head snap up.

"What? What is it?"

"That's great—I'm really glad you think you're on your way to remembering things. But I need to tell you something. Remember what Lady Tsunade said? About you staying with Guy's team until my team returned?" Naomi nodded, suddenly excited. That's right! Tsunade said she'd be back with Sakura when her mission was over. The girl sat up straighter, anxious for the good news. "Well, that's changed." Immediately, Naomi's face dropped, mouth falling open as her words of protest disappeared into the air. Sakura put up her hands apologetically. "I know, I know. I'm sorry. But she scheduled a whole bunch of follow-up missions for us, and you're already situated on the Hyuga compound—this is just the easiest way." Wonderful. So not only would Naomi not be escaping the compound to stay with Sakura, but Sakura wouldn't even _be around_ often enough to visit and talk.

"B-But," Naomi stammered, voice rising. "But, Sakura, you don't understand—"

"Hinata mentioned something about you not having a very easy time at the compound," Sakura remarked knowingly. Naomi jumped on the bait.

"No, no, it's not the compound that's the problem. It's _him_—it's Neji. He goes out of his way to bully me around and he threatens me and… and… oh, Sakura, _please_, you're the only one who believes me now. About anything." Sakura's apology shone in her eyes and Naomi felt her heart jump into her throat. _'I can't... I can't handle this. I can't go back there. I can't, I can't…'_ Tears burned in Naomi's eyes and she turned her face away. Her short brown hair fell and hid her flushed face from the kunoichi, but Sakura didn't need to see; she knew, and she didn't know how to help. She had been about to give a very lengthy apology, but Naomi spoke first. "Thank you," she blurted, suddenly getting to her feet. "Thank you so much for lunch." She offered Sakura a brief, tight smile before turning away again. "It was great to see you. Come and visit me again when you have time—I think I'm late meeting the team. I'll see you later!" And with that, Naomi pushed herself into the bustling crowds and disappeared. Sakura watched her go and sighed, finishing what was left of the tea.

"Just stick it out—you'll be fine," she murmured, wishing Naomi could hear her.

vVvVv

The air was cool as Naomi made her way across the training field, grey clouds scattered across a previously clear sky. She didn't know of many places in or around Konoha, but this was a big enough area for her to disappear in for a little while. Or so she hoped. _'But Mr. Crazy Eyes might just decide to find me from, oh, _half a mile_ away.'_ That news had been impressive, though not particularly welcomed. Naomi strode across the open field, crossing the tree line into the woods without much thought. She walked, and walked, and then kept walking. It was the afternoon before she finally stopped, sitting among the gnarling roots of a tree with her back against the unexpectedly smooth bark. Sighing, she closed her eyes, wishing off yet another headache. A bird sang somewhere in the tree above her, and she spoke back.

"Who am I?" she whispered into the sky, stormy eyes matching the darkening world overhead. _'I'm Naomi.'_ That is all she really knew, and, even then, who was to say? A light drizzle danced across her face and her mind flashed back to that first morning in the woods, waking up to a strange world as a strange person. Her eyes cracked open and she watched the clouds churn overhead, acutely aware of the warmth her tears created against her cheeks. She felt so lost, so completely alone; she didn't know how she could stand it any longer. It was as if the world was against her—only Sakura was on her side, and even that was a tentative gift of trust at this point. Naomi suddenly thought of Tenten, wondering if the kunoichi had since forgiven her or if she was still upset by their spar. _'She was on my side…' _But was she still?

The rain picked up then, the last slice of blue sky having been swallowed by an ever growing, dark grey beast of a storm cloud. Naomi pulled her knees to her chest, huddling under the slight canopy of the trees. It was a warm rain, heated by the long summer day, and it felt as though it could wash her head pains away. Resting her forehead on her arms, Naomi listened as the droplets made music throughout the forest. It was peaceful here, with no one to accuse her, or distrust her; here, nothing was expected of her. Here she was just Naomi, a girl with very few yesterdays to speak of. _'Maybe I'll just stay here…' _Yes, yes… that seemed like a marvelous idea. She'd just… stay here, in the woods, in the rain, and let them consume her until, like her memories, she was forgotten. But this longing would not be satisfied.

Something began to pick at her then, an uneasy tingling on the back of her neck. Unsure as to why, she felt the sudden desire—no, the _need_—to stand; to be on her feet, just in case. But, in case of what? She wasn't sure. Idly, her misty blue eyes scanned the area, peering through the ever heightening downpour. Beneath the rain, things were quiet. But there was something else… something… Abruptly, Naomi pivoted to face right, gaze narrowing onto a shadowy figure hovering beneath the shelter of a tree not more than twenty yards away.

"Who…" But she stopped. Suddenly, she knew who. "What do you _want_?" she groaned, running her fingers back through her now dripping hair. In near-silence, Neji approached, pausing again after closing half of the previous distance.

"The truth," he spat back, arms folded as he leaned back against a young tree, eyes narrowed. "Thought you might just talk a walk by yourself? Maybe meeting somebody here, hm? Well," he broke off, and Naomi could just barely make out an odd change in his face, as if his temples had suddenly tensed. "No one's coming. There's no one around for quite a ways, actually." The implications beneath his words sent chills down Naomi's spine. _'Careful, Naomi… careful.'_

"I hadn't planned on meeting anybody. I just wanted a minute to myself." She couldn't stop herself from continuing, an unintentional edge growing in her voice. "It was nice not to have somebody breathing down my neck for once." Neji's jaw twitched, and Naomi went silent. The rain was falling in sheets now, thoroughly drenching Naomi down to her skin, but it was still warm, so it wasn't too bothersome. When the thunder began, however, the storm went from loud but manageable, to utterly deafening. Naomi strained to hear Neji's voice.

"Last chance," she heard him state. "Confess now—everything, right now—or I'll get it from you some other way." His previous words resonated throughout her skull:_ "There's no one around for quite a ways…"_ An intense feeling of dread and inevitability exploded within Naomi just then and her breath hitched. _'Some other way, he'd said…'_ What did that mean? To what lengths would he go…? Swallowing the lump in her throat, Naomi took a quiet step backward, bringing her arms up to hug her ribs—from the cool rain or from fear, she wasn't sure. Neji stepped out from the shelter of the tree then; Naomi knew she would never outrun him

"Okay!" she spat out before she could stop herself. Neji froze, watching her expectantly. "Okay, um… you want the truth? Fine." Naomi inhaled deeply and closed her eyes, mustering up every ounce of courageous blood she had in her trembling body. When she met Neji's gaze again, her eyes were surprisingly sharp, tone full of absolution. "My name is Naomi," she began, yelling to be heard above the storm. "And—" She paused, interrupted by a boom of thunder. The natural power seemed to strengthen her resolve and she dropped her arms, shoulders square and back straight. "—that is _all I know!_" When Neji rushed toward her, she simply screwed her eyes shut and turned her face away.

But when seconds passed and nothing happened, and something still felt immensely wrong, her tenacity began to break apart. Cautiously, she opened her eyes, immediately wishing she hadn't. Neji stood just before her—a foot, or perhaps only inches away—and had her trapped in his stare; he had a couple of inches over her, she noticed. She also noticed that she'd been correct before; something about his face _had_ changed. Veins seemed to flare out from his eyes to his temples and a sharpness had entered their white-lavender hue. Naomi held her breath as Sakura's voice came to her from earlier that day: _"Byakugan… That means everything, to any depth… actually a pretty dangerous thing to be up against."_ Is that what this was? Was he tearing her apart, breaking her down from the inside? What was he looking for, or hoping to find? When Neji spoke, his voice was dangerously low and Naomi grew cold.

"Wrong answer."

When he hit her, something happened. She'd managed—somehow—to defend against the impact with her arms, but the force still sent her to the ground. Interestingly enough, her first thought was that being hit didn't hurt as devastatingly as she'd expected it to. Shaking, Naomi scrambled to her feet, eyes never leaving Neji. She noticed, however, something felt different in the air. Neji seemed to notice, too, and halted his second advance. What happened next took no more than two seconds. A current passed through both individuals, causing the small hairs along their bodies to lift away from their skin. Sounds seemed to fall away, leaving behind the quietest of hums—a low, crackling note that danced in the air. And before she even knew what she was saying, Naomi had whispered "Get down." But it was too late, and a flash had blinded them both.

It was the loudest, most powerful sensation Naomi had ever experienced, or even imagined. The bolt of lightning had struck the ground between the two bodies, its resounding clap of thunder shaking each to their core. Naomi had been thrown back, skidding along the muddy forest floor before coming to a rest fifteen feet back from where she'd been standing. Neji had gone in the opposite direction, but had made it only half the distance before his spine and skull had made contact with the bark of an ancient cedar. He crumpled to the ground, both people seemingly lifeless beneath the storm.

"_Naomi…"_ _It was a voice she recognized, from someplace far away. She groped in the darkness, stumbling as she tried to escape the deafening hum of electricity that had engulfed her. She called out to the voice, but no sound escaped her. _

"_Naomi." Closer now. She lost her footing and fell, but did not hit the ground. It felt as though she were falling forever, the song of high voltage growing louder and more intense the longer she fell. She tried to call out, but, again, could not muster even the slightest whimper. _

"_Naomi… here." And when at last she landed, the world felt cold, and she screamed._

Her eyes shot open, air rushing into her lungs as her body struggled to stabilize itself. Her heart was beating at a terrifying rate and she couldn't seem to catch her breath. Rain pounded against her face, in her ears, and each time the sky behind the canopy lit up, she wanted to scream. A ringing filled her eardrums, smoke invaded her nose, and the potent taste of blood littered her tongue. _'I've bitten my tongue,'_ she realized, body wracked by tremors that she could not settle. Naomi managed to roll onto her side and spit out a mouthful of blood, her breathing now less frantic. She scanned the area, eyes squinting through the rain. _'…whoa.'_

The leaves on the trees that had encompassed the point of the strike had burnt to a crisp, smoke rising into the dark sky. Once Naomi was able to sit up, she saw that the ground was charred black, some grass and dirt having scattered away from the outburst of energy. She found it hard to believe she'd recovered so quickly—that she'd recovered at all. She knew not much time had passed lost in unconsciousness because the air was still hot from the blast. Gingerly, she drew her fingertips across her arms, her face, through her hair. Everywhere was tender—very tender—and she had some minor burns, the worst of which on her palms, but everything still seemed to be working. Her dark blue kimono was frayed along all of the edges, and the ends of her already short brown hair felt brittle. _'But I'm okay… I'm okay.'_

Slowly, carefully, she pushed herself to her feet, picking her way back to where the lightning had touched down. She was half crawling, finding difficulty in remaining upright. The rain seemed to assault her skin now, each wave like a grater running down her face and limbs. She did her best to ignore the discomfort, however. Now that she knew her body was in working order, she had only one thought: what had happened to Neji? Naomi made a beeline toward the figure lying still at the base of a tree. She reached his side and fell to her knees, rolling him gingerly onto his back. His clothes were singed, his fair skin suffering much more than hers with blisters along his forearms and chest. She winced sympathetically, gently pressing her ear to Neji's chest. There was no heartbeat.

Panicked, she listened more intently, hoping the rain was simply drowning out the gentle thud of his heart. Again, she found nothing. _'Oh my God, oh my God…'_ Her mind raced and time slowed to a crawl. "Okay, okay, okay," she repeated, struggling to remember the correct way to perform CPR. "Is it five…no, seven…and then breathe? No… no, no!" She was wasting time, she knew. She needed to do something—anything. How long had he been out? How long could a person survive? He was fit; he might still have a chance. The heel of Naomi's palm slammed into Neji's sternum as she threw her weight into the compression, the burnt skin of her hands complaining with each push. She didn't know how many to try, so she did six and hesitated only briefly before pinching the bridge of Neji's nose and breathing for him. The sequence continued for what felt like ages, but in reality had been only less than a minute. Naomi couldn't hear herself crying, but she felt her limbs aching as she forced her muscles to continue working.

And then, at last, he stirred.

Neji's chest convulsed violently, and then he settled. Naomi sat back, staring in disbelief at the faint, uneven rise and fall of the Hyuga's breaths. She could hear his gentle wheezing beneath the rain and exhaustion washed over her. Still skeptical, Naomi tentatively pressed her ear to Neji's chest, tears flowing freely once she picked up on the softest of heartbeats.

"Oh my God," she breathed, falling backward onto the waterlogged ground to let the rain—now lessening—cleanse her skin and wash her tears away. She wondered if she should reposition Neji, but was much too afraid to jostle him in case his recovering body couldn't handle it. _'He was going to hurt me,'_ she remembered, but found it difficult, at that point, to care. He was a cruel, inconsiderate, accusatory bastard, but that didn't mean Naomi wanted him dead. Detained perhaps, but not dead.

The storm had passed long before Neji stirred again. Naomi sat at his other side now, huddled against the tree, listening as birds began to sing to a much wetter world. As badly as Naomi had wanted just to sleep—she'd admittedly nodded off once or twice, only briefly—she had forced herself to remain alert, or, at the very least, awake. She had this awful fear that Neji's heart might stop again, and wanted to be ready, just in case. Just as the sun broke through the dissipating clouds, much lower in the sky than Naomi had anticipated, Neji's brow furrowed with discomfort and he began to regain consciousness.

He coughed weakly and Naomi started at the sound, pressing herself back against the solid base of the tree and staring in anxious silence down at the Hyuga. His fingers twitched as his muscles began to reawaken, his breaths becoming deeper and steadier. His body was tense as it assessed the damage. Moments passed, and then, slowly, he opened his eyes. They were distant, struggling to focus in the changing light, searching for something to lock on to. They found Naomi trembling weakly just a foot away. As awareness set in, a hardness settled over Neji's expression. He tried to push himself upright, but moved too quickly and fell as his arms gave out. Though he tried to suppress it, Naomi caught the faintest moan rumbling deep in his throat. He was hurting, and hated it.

"Don't," Naomi choked out when he tried again; she had been unaware of the damage smoke had done to her throat. She swallowed painfully, speaking in a lower tone that came out steadier. "Don't. Just relax." He shot her what she could only assume was a glare, and, suddenly inspired to do the exact opposite of what she asked, Neji forced himself up onto his elbows. And then his hands. And then he was sitting up without support, eyes closed as he quietly fought off a dizzying blood rush. Naomi was tense now, apprehensive about what he would try to do. Even weakened, would he try to hurt her? Naomi never knew what to expect from him—her wariness was clear in her eyes and body language. Steady now, Neji just stared at the girl, eyes clouded by exhaustion but still, somehow, just as sharp as always. He didn't seem to know what he was going to do next, either.

The silence stretched for miles between them, Naomi no longer able to hold his gaze while he remained torturously unblinking. After what Naomi could only assume had been ages, she could no longer handle the uneasy silence and blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "You died." Neji's only reaction was to quirk his eyebrow in both question and, perhaps, surprise. Naomi stammered, struggling to find a way to explain herself. "You… I mean…" Her eyes darted around nervously, unable to land on Neji. "Your heart. It stopped. I… I started it again. I…" She fizzled out, closing her eyes. Neji placed a curious hand against his chest above his heart, measuring the validity of Naomi's story. His eyes, momentarily, left Naomi and fell to his sternum, where a dark bruise had begun to form—he'd seen similar markings on recipients of CPR. Damn.

Sighing quietly, Neji closed his eyes and began trying to stand. The movement caught Naomi's attention, and when she saw what was happening she moved to protest. "Don't—" The look he shot her forced her jaw to clamp shut. So instead she watched and waited, gaze full of both concern and astonishment. He was dead an hour ago, and was already back on his feet. Naomi couldn't help but be impressed. He momentarily used the tree for support, but was able to drop his hand away and stand freely in only minutes. Inhaling deeply, he cast his eyes in the direction of the training field. When he spoke, Naomi jumped.

"Come on." Naomi blinked up at the jounin, and when she didn't move or respond, he continued, tone flat. "Get up." Naomi's face flushed with the effort it took to stand. Both of her legs were numb from the curled position they'd been left in, and when she tried to straighten up the blood rushed out of her head and she stumbled, falling backward against the tree trunk. Her eyes were trained on the ground, but when Neji's hand suddenly came into her line of sight they snapped up, full of concern. He'd been reaching for her, and she had instinctively jerked away.

"Wait, no—" she began, about to plead with Neji not to do anything, but his exasperated sigh cut her off. He reached for Naomi again, this time managing to wrap his fingers around her forearm and pull her to her feet. When she had expected pain, there was none; where she'd braced for force, she didn't feel any. He held on until Naomi caught her balance and then let his hand fall away. He said nothing more, merely turning and beginning to walk back toward the village. Naturally, Naomi tried to follow, but she stumbled with her first step—her legs still numb—and suddenly his hand was back. He didn't look at her for more than a moment, but Naomi caught the disapproval written on his face. Her current weakness was bothering him. Or was it his choice to help her through this weakness that had him so disturbed?

Regardless of the reason, Neji's hand remained connected to Naomi's arm for the duration of their walk across the sodden field and into the village, letting go only when the Hyuga compound was it sight. Briefly, Naomi wondered how much time of peace saving Neji's life had bought her.


	7. Chapter 7

Seven: Progress Perhaps

It had been three days. Three lovely days of what Naomi could only appropriately describe as "The calm _after_ the storm." Neji had hardly even made an appearance, only coming to fetch her when they were expected to meet with Guy's team. The walks to and from the rendezvous points were silent, and not as tense as they had once been. Naomi was grateful for this, but reminded herself not to grow too accustomed to the peace—something was bound to happen soon enough that would set Neji off raving once again. Tenten had also been coming around to meet up on occasion, obviously having forgiven Naomi for the incident at the training field. At last, life was moving up for Naomi.

As far as Naomi's memories were concerned, no real progress had been made, except in the one instance when she'd been regaling Hinata with the story of waking up in the forest that first day. When she got to the part about the crazy man in the tree, she'd suddenly just recalled that the weapons he'd thrown at her were called "senbon". That was an exciting moment, but nothing had been unearthed since. Naomi also hadn't been hearing any more voices, which she thoroughly enjoyed. She could handle amnesia, and she could handle being delusional, but she wasn't sure she'd be up for living with both conditions long-term.

Today she'd been expecting to go into town with Tenten. She'd just finished dressing when there was a solid rap on the bedroom door. "Come in!" she called, surprised when she turned and saw Neji hovering in the doorway. They weren't scheduled for anything that afternoon, and he'd never stopped by for any other reason—ever—so Naomi had a difficult time trying to figure out what to say. "Oh," she began unsurely. "Um… yes?" Neji calmly tossed a small bag into the room which landed on the bed with a small clinking sound.

"Issued by Tsunade," he stated coolly, eyes focused on something outside of the room. "She didn't want people to have to keep buying things for you." Naomi blinked, eyeing the small cloth purse curiously.

"Oh, wow, um…" It was not a gift she'd been expecting or seeking. "Tell her thanks? If you see her…" Neji said nothing else, having already disappeared down the hall. Talking to him was just… awkward. There was no other word. It was awkward. But before Naomi could dwell for too long, Tenten's face was peeking around the doorframe.

"Yo," she greeted, waving a bit. "Ready to go?" Naomi grinned and nodded, adjusting her belt before grabbing the coin purse from the bed and following Tenten off the premises. They hadn't made it very far before Tenten opened her mouth to speak. "So, remember when I told you I'd talk to Neji?" Naomi eyed her companion carefully. She remembered, but had assumed that the deal was off after she had practically slit Tenten's throat. She nodded. "Right, well… I did." Naomi's stomach fluttered nervously, but she held a cool exterior.

"Oh? When?"

"It was yesterday. I met up with him coming out of the Hokage Tower." Right, Naomi thought. He must have been given the coins then.

"I see…" Naomi was hestitant. "And… how did it go?" Tenten was quiet for a moment.

"Well, he—"

"Hey, Naomi! Over here!" Both girls turned and found a familiar, pink-haired kunoichi waving to them as she jogged down the street to catch up. "Hey, Tenten, so good to see you." Tenten smiled.

"You, too. How've you been Sakura?" Sakura beamed, hands resting at her hips.

"I'm fine, just fine. Got back not too long ago from an assignment—it went well." Tenten nodded, and Naomi couldn't help but spit out an invitation for Sakura to join them in town that day. "Oh, really?" she'd began, pausing to remember if she had any prior obligations. "That'd be great, if you two don't mind?" She looked to Tenten then, seeing as Naomi had been the one to extend the invitation. Tenten shook her head.

"No, of course not. It'd be nice to spend time just the three of us." And that was all the affirmation Sakura needed. The trio hit three different garment shops, Naomi careful about how much she spent. She picked out a simple beige kimono, and another in deep purple. Tenten darted across the street to a weapon's dealer and came back with two scrolls, looking quite proud. The three chatted idly about missions they'd been on—Naomi mostly listened—and then about where they could grab some lunch. Each settled for a ramen booth and the three young women took up seats at the bar. It was then that Naomi realized she was quite anxious to hear what Tenten had been about to tell her before Sakura had come along. She saw no reason why Sakura couldn't hear it as well, considering Naomi had expressed her concerns to both kunoichi. _'Sakura's really level-headed. I bet she'd have something to say about it,'_ Naomi mused, glancing at Tenten who appeared to be on the same train of thought. And then, as fate would have it, Sakura offered the perfect opening.

"So, Naomi," she began, tone good-natured. "How are things at the compound?" Naomi's eyes lit up.

"They're better," she remarked, blowing gently on the steaming bowl of pork ramen that had been set before her. "Actually, Tenten was just telling me about something Neji had told her, right?" Both girls turned to the aforementioned kunoichi, eyes expectant. Tenten appeared thoughtful, glancing unsurely at Naomi, who nodded; it was alright if Sakura knew.

"Yeah, right," she started, gathering her thoughts. "Well, like I said, I had the chance yesterday to speak with him. He, um… well, Naomi, he told me about what happened the other day. With the lightning." Naomi's face flushed, and she had to remind herself that she hadn't really been keeping it a secret—it was just a very emotion-packed experience that could be difficult to discuss. Naomi nodded.

"Yeah, that was… quite the storm."

"Right, well, anyways. He told me about how, apparently, you had saved his life—" Sakura jumped in.

"Hey, whoa, wait a second. I haven't heard this. Naomi?" Naomi kept her gaze trained on her ramen when she spoke, keeping her tone level.

"It's not a big deal." Even though it kind of was. "We were hit by lightning, and—"

"_What?_"

"Well, okay, so the lightning didn't hit _us_, it hit right between us. We—"

"Where were you when this happened?"

"In the woods. Just beside the training field." Sakura took on a thoughtful expression then, but said nothing, so Naomi continued. "We were both knocked out, but I regained consciousness fairly quickly. When I found Neji, well…" she trailed off, biting her lip. "His heart, it had kind of… stopped working." Sakura gasped audibly. "But it was fine!" Naomi rushed before Sakura could interject again. "I started it up again. Happy ending." Sakura leaned against the counter, amazement shining on her face.

"Um, well then… wow. Great work, Naomi." Naomi smiled, brushing it off. Tenten continued.

"Right, _anyways_, when he told me you'd saved his life, I could see it in his face—which is weird, because he's usually pretty unreadable—I could see that you saving him really bothered him. He wasn't exactly happy about it."

"Happy about his life being saved?"

"No, it's more an issue of _who_ did the saving. As his book of standards would have it, Naomi… he kind of owes you now."

"_Kind_ of?"

"Alright, well, he really owes you now…"

"And that really bothers him," Sakura concluded, earning an appreciative nod from Tenten. Naomi swirled around the broth in her bowl, considering this news. _'Is there a time limit on this sort of thing?'_ she wondered. She would never dare to ask for a favor from Neji, and she doesn't exactly want him to feel indebted, but having him off of her back was… well, it was really, really nice. Quietly, she sighed.

"Should I just tell him not to worry about it?"

"You could try, but…"

"Naomi, with someone like Neji," Sakura explained. "You can't just ask him to forget about you saving his life. Whether he likes it or not, he'll need to repay you for it."

"Alright then, one of you should beat me to within an inch of my life and lay me on his doorstep. Hopefully he keeps me from dying and all will be right in the world." All three girls shared a laugh over the idea. However, when both Sakura and Tenten began to offer up some further details as to how this could be done without accidentally killing Naomi, the blue-eyed girl called the subject to a close. "Easy—things are going pretty well right now, I'd like to keep them that way. But I appreciate your investment." More laughter, and as the afternoon came to a close and Naomi made her way back to the compound, she couldn't keep one thought at bay: what was she going to do to screw up these good times?

vVvVv

When Naomi passed through the iron gates of the Hyuga compound, a curious noise kept her from going straight to her room. Instead she placed her shopping bag on the front veranda and followed the sounds around the side of the main building to the back of the property. She'd never been back this way before. When she found the source of the sounds, she froze, immediately quieting her breath. She peered cautiously around the building, eyes narrowed onto Neji as he did a number on a couple of training dummies. The way he fought… it was almost artistic. He was precise down to the finest detail, his movements flowing from one into another, and yet to watch him one might call him frenzied and wild. All descriptions were correct.

At one point, he'd begun moving so quickly that he stirred up dirt and dust from the surrounding area, and had somehow begun manipulating the air with his movements enough to create a dome around his figure. Naomi was a bit disappointed that she couldn't quite see through it. When the dust settled, Naomi's heart leapt so forcefully into her throat that it nearly came out of her mouth. Neji had disappeared. But she didn't have much time to wonder how or to where.

That unfortunate, familiar unease crept along the back of her neck, and Naomi swallowed dryly, closing her eyes as if that might make her current reality a false one. This did not work.

"Did you need something?" At the sound of his closeness, Naomi whirled around, slamming her back into the side of the building. Neji stood before her, a thin film of sweat causing his skin to glisten in the warm summer sun. His shirt was slung over one shoulder—_'…he could break me'_—and his eyes were locked onto hers. As always, his stare was relentless. Naomi stammered something incoherent. _'It's no wonder he treats me like I'm ignorant,' _she thought. _'Half of the time I'm just stuttering and blubbering like an idiot.'_ She wasn't even going to try to comprehend how he'd gotten behind her so quickly.

"Sorry," she managed at last, burning beneath his gaze; he was the magnifying glass, she was the ant. "I just got home, and I… I heard something—you," she correct quickly. "I heard you." Neji watched her for another moment. _'Awkward. Talking to him is just awkward.'_

"I see," was all he said before striding back out into the open of the training area. She flinched as he passed her; he noticed. She watched him carefully for a moment, about to leave just as his voice called her back. "Come here," he threw over his shoulder. Dismayed, Naomi's eyes darted between Neji and the way she had come. If she just left now, it'd be clear she'd heard him and chose to ignore him, like she was running away—_'I would be running away.'_—but if she obeyed, it would only strengthen the idea he had in his head that he could order her around—_'He can absolutely order me around.'_ Neji knew exactly how badly she had been hesitating, and didn't have the patience to put up with it. "Just come here," he said again, voice hard. Naomi gulped audibly and made her way toward the young Hyuga with what she thought were confident steps. She noticed, then, that he had activated his Byakugan when she'd hadn't been watching and was now switching it off. His brow creased in thought.

"Yes, did you need something?" Naomi mimicked his tone from earlier, proud of how indifferent she sounded. Neji nodded toward the battered training dummy.

"Go ahead," he stated. Naomi stared at him, confused. Neji sighed, having already run out of patience, and repeated himself. "Go ahead; practice." Naomi now stared at the dummy.

"Practice what?" she inquired innocently.

"Anything," he snapped. "You haven't done much since arriving," he continued, his tone now suspiciously casual. "I'm sure you'd like to expel some pent up energy." Naomi eyed him warily, backing a short distance away.

"No, that's fine, really. No pent up energy here." Neji sighed with frustration, running a hand back through his long brown tresses.

"Alright," he stated a bit too fiercely, inhaling to check himself. "Alright, fine. Just hit it, then."

"But, I—"

"Hit it one time, and you can go." Naomi didn't like the idea of him thinking he could dismiss her, but, in reality, she knew she'd have a hard time disobeying. Sighing, the girl stepped forward unsurely, looking back and forth between Neji and the dummy. He watched her carefully. _'What is he looking for?'_ Grumbling quietly, Naomi made a clumsy fist and went to hit the wooden framework, but pulled back at the last second and succeeded in merely nudging the immobile creature. The entire motion just felt… awkward. A nice visual representation of what it felt like to carry on a conversation with Neji. The Hyuga in question scoffed quietly. Naomi's cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

"Can I go now?"

"Hit me," Neji suddenly demanded.

"…excuse me?"

"Just… go ahead. Try and hit me." Naomi did not miss him adding "try" to his statement.

"No, you said if I—"

"Alright then, how about this." Abruptly, Neji began pacing away from Naomi, explaining back over his shoulder. "I'm going to hit you; however you decide to respond is up to you." The blood drained from Naomi's face.

"Whoa, whoa, hold on now, I—"

"One."

"Just a minute, I—"

"Two."

"Neji, seriously, I—wait…" Was that…? Yes, she'd definitely heard it. That voice. The one that so incessantly called her name—it was never good news. Anxiety spread throughout her body as Naomi tried to drown the voice out, eyes darting around in a futile attempt at finding its source. She didn't want to hear it, or to see the terrible images it always seemed to bring along. The screaming… Naomi shook her head. She'd missed Neji saying "Three."

Naomi felt detached from her physical self as she turned just in time to see Neji racing toward her. Darkness lingered at the edges of her vision, pain nagging at her skull, but she fought it off, having only time to brace herself for impact.

"_Naomi_._" _The voice sounded broken, fizzling out of existence as Naomi felt several points of impact at different areas of her body. Her growing headache had also immediately dissipated. She stumbled backward, muscles cramping where Neji had hit her. _'The force he uses… he barely touched me,'_ she realized, unable to piece anything together. Naomi clutched at her chest and cradled one arm against her body as the adjoining shoulder became inflexible. Neji stood back, his Byakugan active once again, and scrutinized Naomi's crippled figure. The girl stared at him, finding it difficult to focus her eyes.

"What…" she began, voice uncomfortably unsteady. "What did you do?"

"Nothing permanent," he stated simply, clearly focusing on something more important. Naomi did her best to glare at him.

"Well… then _un_do it." He said nothing, humming thoughtfully as he closed his eyes, the veins at his temples receding. _'Freaky.'_ The jounin stepped forward and Naomi moved away from his outstretched hand. He rolled his eyes.

"Could you relax for three seconds? _I'm undoing_," he spat, voice agitated. Naomi held her ground, watching him cautiously. He moved so quickly, Naomi didn't have time to say "ow" before all of her previously cramping muscles relaxed simultaneously. She stumbled again, catching herself before completely losing balance. She massaged her shoulder, staring at Neji questioningly. He seemed caught up with something—one particular thought he'd found very interesting, Naomi supposed. _'Probably about himself and how wonderful he is,'_ she thought coldly, sticking her mental tongue out at the Hyuga. Suddenly, he gestured back toward the front of the compound. "Leave now." His command had Naomi bristling. That was it.

"Just _stop_," she nearly yelled, shoulders rigid and jaw set. He met her glare with one of his own. "You… you are just so absolutely disrespectful—I can't _stand _it." Her voice picked up intensity. "I am _not_ something you can just order around. You may be responsible for keeping an eye on me, but that does _not_ make me your… your…" She fumed, struggling to come up with a decent noun to throw into her rant. "I am not your… _plaything_," she spat at last, breathing heavily. Though he tried to hide it, Naomi could see how Neji's jaw had tensed and his fingertips twitched in agitation; the sight brought her immense satisfaction.

"Why should I respect you?" he snapped back, eyes blaring.

"Because! I—"

"Do you respect _me_?" The question caught Naomi off-guard and her mouth snapped shut. "Exactly." Neji moved as if to step toward her and she reacted appropriately by jerking away. He tsked through his teeth before pivoting around and stalking away. "Respect is earned; I don't waste it on small people." Naomi's temper was raging and she heard the words leave her mouth before she had time to rethink them.

"_I saved your life_." But she had plenty of time to regret them. Faster than she could follow, Neji was back in her face. In one movement, he kicked out her legs and slammed her back hard into the ground, hand around her throat. Air rushed from her lungs with the impact, her hands immediately taking hold of Neji's forearm. He held her there, crouched low enough so that she could feel his hot exhales cascade across her face. His long, dark hair fell over his shoulders, brushing against Naomi's cheek. She could still breathe, barely, but had no chance at speaking, so she just stared up at him with what she hoped was a cold—not terrified—expression. Neji said nothing, Naomi's last words seemingly ringing through the air. She didn't mean to say what she had—she had never, ever meant to throw that back in his face. But she had.

"Yes." His voice was low, the calmness sending Naomi's anxiety over the edge. She squirmed beneath his hold on her, but Neji was not fazed. "Yes, you did. And I've spent days trying to figure out why. You could have left me to die. The one person accusing you of being a fraud had, for all intents and purposes, been wiped from the picture—and it was such the perfect accident, no one could have denied it. And yet," he paused, a flash of thoughtfulness streaking across his eyes. "Here I am. Which begs the question…" Neji's grip was suddenly released and Naomi gasped to replenish her oxygen supply; he kept his hand resting on her throat. "Which begs the question," he repeated, fury fading from his tone. "Why?"

Naomi could only stare up at the jounin, suddenly feeling speechless. Why? What did he mean, "why"? _'Because I'm not a cold, ruthless, unfeeling robot with an empty chest cavity.' _If only she could be so bold as to say that to his face. Inhaling deeply, Naomi narrowed her eyes and spoke quietly. "Did you ever even consider," she began, making a point to drop her hands away from Neji's arm. "Just for a second, that maybe I'm not your enemy?" She held his gaze for just a second more before she had to avert her eyes, a burning determination hidden behind their stormy hue. Silence.

Unexpectedly, Neji stood, his tone calculating and expression deliberating. "No," he stated. "I didn't." And he didn't plan to, from what Naomi could read in his eyes. As Naomi watched him, having pushed herself onto her elbows, she picked up on something that caught her off guard. There was a motion, the smallest of movements, that almost made it look like he had been about to offer her a hand. But the shift was hardly discernible—Naomi had to pretend it hadn't happened. Quietly, Neji walked away, disappearing around the main building.

"Well," Naomi murmured after him, getting to her feet. "Maybe you should try it sometime."


	8. Chapter 8

Eight: Revelations

Sweat had begun to gather at Naomi's temples. A coldness clawed its way into her fingertips and tremors pervaded her limbs. _'I can't,'_ she thought in desperation, knees ready to buckle and threatening to send her to the floor. Her heart raced with adrenaline, her knuckles barely grazing the large wooden doors.

She had to meet with Lady Tsunade today.

"Come in!" a voice boomed from within the office. Naomi's shoulders slumped, wishing Sakura could have come with her today. Swallowing dryly, Naomi heaved the doors open and stepped inside the Hokage's office.

"Um, Lady Tsunade?" The well-endowed blond sitting at the desk across the room did not look up. Naomi cleared her throat, stepping forward. She remembered how Sakura had shouted to get the woman's attention, but Naomi wouldn't dare attempt such a thing. "Lady Tsunade, you summoned me." Seconds ticked by, but, eventually, the Hokage glanced up and sat back in her chair.

"Oh, you. Right." She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, seeming to slip into some sort of meditation. Naomi shuffled her feet uneasily; she hated long silences. She coughed quietly and Tsunade's brow furrowed. The woman opened her eyes to gaze out of the large window behind her. "I hope your stay with us hasn't been unpleasant?" she mused.

"No, no. I'm so grateful for—"

"Sakura tells me your memories might be trying to resurface. Is that correct?"

"Um, well, yes. I think so. I—"

"Has any progress been made as to recalling your history?"

"Uh… no, not really. It—"

"You see, Naomi," the Hokage interjected. At that point Naomi made a mental note not to try for anything longer than one or two word responses. "I don't want you to think I've dropped your case from my plate. I am extremely busy, but it's vital for this village that we know about all who reside here. For safety." Naomi's cheeks burned and she nodded. "I've been able to send out some spare shinobi to neighboring nations—one even went as far as Sunagakure."

"Sorry," Naomi chimed quietly. "I don't know where that—"

"It's a fair distance. I sent them out to ask around and gather reports of recent citizens and personnel who've gone missing in the past month or so." She paused here, and Naomi wasn't sure what she was supposed to say.

"Oh?" That was enough.

"Plenty of people have disappeared—killed in combat, runaways, kidnapping—but, Naomi, so far you don't seem to be one of them." It felt as if a block of lead were pressing against Naomi's ribs. She inhaled to steady herself.

"So, what you're saying is—"

"Either you come from much farther away, no one's noticed you're missing and reported it, or…" Tsunade turned to meet Naomi's eyes. The stare was not inviting. "Or someone is assuming that you left for a different reason." The girl stammered. She didn't know why, but Tsunade made that sound like a very bad thing. Suddenly, a phrase Tenten had used days ago on their delivery mission jumped into her head: _"They're popular victims of rogue shinobi…"_ Is that what Tsunade meant? That Naomi might have gone rogue from somewhere? She didn't _feel_ like a rogue. Weren't they supposed to be… _mean_? "They have reports on file for that sort of thing, as well," she continued, gaze no longer locked onto Naomi. "And we're spending some man hours sorting through those. If there's an update… you'll be informed." A lump rose in Naomi's throat. She didn't like how that sounded.

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade. I—"

"I expect that you'll enlighten us to any progress you might make?"

"Of course."

"Excellent. You may go." Naomi nodded and made her way back to the heavy office doors. "You've exhibited a great deal of patience with this whole process, thus far," Tsunade called to her as she left. "I ask that you continue to do so." With that, Naomi closed the door and left the Hokage Tower, an unfamiliar anxiety digging into the pit of her stomach. She'd just stepped off the premises when a familiar voice was calling her name.

"Hey, Naomi! Hold on," Sakura called as she approached. With the lightest of touches, she placed a hand on Naomi's shoulder, her eyes scanning the brunette's face. "Hinata said you'd be here—is everything alright?" Naomi nodded, managing a smile to mask her concern.

"Yeah, Lady Tsunade wanted to check in—see if anything was coming back." Sakura seemed relieved and dropped her hand.

"Of course. What did you tell her?" she asked, simply curious. Naomi shrugged.

"The truth—I still don't remember anything."

"Well, just wait and see; something will change," the kunoichi reassured with a kind smile.

"Thanks. So, why were you looking for me?"

"Oh!" Sakura's face lit up with realization. "Right, I wanted to ask if you'd be interested in spending today with a different team." Naomi blinked, confused.

"Whose…?" Sakura stepped back and put her hands on her hips, smirking impishly.

"Well, _mine_, of course." Naomi's spirits soared.

"Oh! Yes! That'd be fantastic. Can I? It's not a problem?" Sakura beamed.

"Nope. I checked. We're just having a session with Kakashi—nothing intense—and Guy excused you from meeting today. He said something along the lines of…" Sakura squared her shoulders and lowered the tone of her voice, winking in a very Guy-like manner. "Ah, yes! Let her go forth and expand her youth!" Both girls laughed freely over Sakura's display as they made their way to an area of the Village Naomi had not yet visited. It was a second training ground, much like the first. An open field, a wooded area, a few large boulders, and some combat devices. The only difference Naomi could see was the small pool and stream that cut across one end of the perimeter. As they approached, Naomi suddenly felt very nervous. What would _they_ have her do? Watch? Spar? What if she just got in their way? Oh boy.

"Man, Sakura—it's about time!" came a loud, grating voice. It took Naomi only a moment to remember the individual's name: Naruto. He still sported that same orange outfit he'd been wearing the day they'd found her; she remembered thinking that it looked very odd. And now, it still looked very odd.

"Lay off it, Naruto," Sakura called back—Naomi didn't miss the twinge in the other girl's temple. "Where's Sensei?" Naruto huffed loudly and put both hands behind his head, peering up at the clouds.

"Hell if I know. He's late again."

"Oy…" Sakura sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Sorry, Naomi—Kakashi sensei is notorious for this." Naomi shrugged, saying it wasn't a problem. Sakura called Naruto over. "Naruto, do you remember Naomi?" The blond narrowed his eyes and examined Naomi's face closely—very closely.

"Uh… sorta. Where have I seen you?" Naomi leaned away slightly; he clearly didn't understand the concept of personal space.

"Er… you were there the day I was found in the woods." Naruto's sapphire eyes widened suddenly and he straightened up, voice reaching a rather unpleasant volume.

"Oh yeah! You're that weird girl who doesn't remember anything! I didn't—OW!" The young man bent over, frantically rubbing the back of his head. "Man, Sakura…" he groaned.

"Damn it, Naruto, don't talk to her like that!"

"I was only—"

"Just shut it!" Dejected, Naruto sidestepped away from the raging Sakura, mumbling something under his breath. Naomi could only stare and do her best to keep her jaw from dropping. She'd never seen Sakura become so riled so quickly. _'We all know that one person who can just…push those buttons,'_ she mused, tensing when Sakura suddenly whirled to face her. But when she saw the smile return, she relaxed. "Sorry about him." The pink-haired kunoichi nodded toward a sulking Naruto. Naomi shook her head.

"No, it's fine. Really."

"He just doesn't—"

"Well, I'm glad to see my team so enthusiastic about getting started." Naomi jumped in surprise, the voice having sounded just behind her. Naruto and Sakura were suddenly at attention. Or, rather, Naruto was at attention and Sakura had that infuriated look plastered on her face again. _'He's still just… reading that book,'_ Naomi noted, backing up to stand beside Sakura. Kakashi stood before the trio, one hand in his pocket and the other holding his reading material. "Glad you could join us, Naomi." His demeanor was so laid back, so nonchalant, that Naomi couldn't help but relax. He addressed her like an ordinary human being, and whether he'd meant what he said or not, she was happy to have heard it. She smiled brightly.

"Thank you for inviting me."

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura snapped. "Where _were_ you?" He glanced at her indifferently, eyes quickly returning to the page he had just flipped to.

"Hm? Oh, I ran into an old woman carrying some very heavy bags, so I—"

"Oh, just save it, Sensei." It was Naruto this time, obviously eager to start whatever it was they were going to do. "What are you teaching us today? Some killer jutsu? A secret technique? Man, can we just start?" Kakashi sighed.

"Calm down. You won't be learning anything new today." Naomi could almost hear the sound Naruto's heart made as it fell through the earth's crust.

"But, Kakashi-sensei, you—"

"You have a ways to go with your current techniques before I'm even going to consider showing you something different." Naruto folded his arms, now far less interested in any further instruction.

"So what _are_ we doing today?" Sakura prompted when Kakashi made no attempts to explain the session.

"Oh, right. Today you'll each pick one jutsu to work on that you've previously struggled with. If you can get it up to my standards, you can pick another." Naomi didn't dare ask what he meant by "jutsu"; she'd ask Sakura later. The kunoichi nodded.

"Yeah, alright. My Chakra Scalpel could use some work if I ever want to use it offensively."

"Oh… fine," Naruto huffed. "I'll just practice my fireball technique." It was then, unfortunately, that both Sakura and Naruto looked toward Naomi expectantly. She blinked, at a loss for words.

"Naomi, what would you like to do?" It was Kakashi's question.

"Well, um… see, the thing is…" Naomi paused when she saw how Sakura's face fell, sympathy clouding her eyes. Naomi nodded in affirmation; she didn't know anything about jutsus. Or, she didn't _remember_ anything about them. Sakura came to her rescue.

"Kakashi-sensei, I think it'd be best for Naomi to work with me," she stated, a certain finality in her voice. The silver-haired jounin hardly seemed to be paying attention. _'Is he just oblivious to the world?'_ Naomi wondered.

"Alright, go ahead. I'll check in with each of you in… oh, maybe an hour." As he strode off, Sakura turned to Naomi.

"Really?" she asked skeptically. Naomi nodded sullenly.

"Really."

"Well," Sakura sighed, expression thoughtful but understanding. "Alright, let's go."

vVvVv

As hard as Naomi tried to pay attention to Sakura's instruction, she couldn't keep her wide eyes off of Naruto at the other end of the field. Somehow, beyond Naomi's realm of understanding, the young man was… _'He's… breathing fire…'_ Even though the sight was clear as day before her, she couldn't bring herself to believe it.

"Got that?" Naomi blinked, tearing her eyes away from the blazing scene to look apologetically at Sakura, who was seated on the grass across from her.

"Hm? Sorry, Sakura, I'm trying. It's just… wow." Her gaze wandered back to Naruto, who'd just managed to set his sleeve on fire. "Should we help him?" Sakura watched her teammate indifferently—she was used to sights like this.

"Nah, he'll be fine. Now, Naomi, focus. What does this seal represent?" Naomi sighed, rubbing the back of her neck as she looked closely at the shape Sakura had contorted her hands into.

"Sakura, I really don't—"

"Please." The kunoichi cut her off firmly. "Just try." Another long sigh had Naomi's shoulders slumping.

"Alright… um…" Sakura had one palm laying flat on top of her other fist. Naomi had no idea what she was looking at. "Is it… a roof?" Sakura dropped her hands, groaning quietly.

"No, no… the answer is 'dog'." When she saw the disappointment clear on Naomi's face, she mustered up a smile. "Hey, don't worry. Here, want to try something else?" Naomi shrugged.

"I don't know. My head kind of hurts. I think I should just—" Something flashed across Sakura's eyes then and she cut the other girl off.

"When did the headache start, Naomi?"

"Um, I'm not sure. Probably…" She thought back. "…probably right around the start of this session, actually."

"You mentioned once that you thought your memories were trying to come back because of something to do with head pains, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah, I did, but—"

"Did you have a headache when you sparred against Tenten?" Naomi thought back to that day; nearly two weeks had passed since then. But this memory was not faded, and she remembered everything clearly.

"…yes. I did. As Guy was counting down, this pain sort of just... bit into the back of my skull." Sakura's eyes were bright now and she stood, scanning the field.

"Alright, Naomi, I'm going to tell you that you absolutely know these seals. And you probably know all about jutsu, too. Something is just keeping you from remembering… Would you mind if I tried something?" Naomi stared up at her companion, only slightly speechless and significantly worried.

"I don't know… what is it?"

"Oh, come on. Do you trust me?" Sakura's eyes were burning with an odd determination as she waited for Naomi to respond. Did Naomi trust her? The young brunette thought back through all of the time she'd spent with Sakura. Specifically, she went back to the day Sakura had taken her to lunch. _'She took a chance trusting me then. No one else would.'_ Still nervous, Naomi nodded.

"I do. Just—"

"Great. Now… wait here, alright? I'll be back in a bit." And before Naomi could question her further, Sakura was running across the field. The sun was high overhead at that point, so Naomi simply forced herself to relax in the golden shine and told herself everything would be alright. She really did trust Sakura. Sighing, Naomi stretched out over the grass and closed her eyes, skin tingling beneath the sun's rays. Some time passed, and, as far as Naomi could tell, Naruto had given up on the fire for now—she couldn't hear any exclamations of pain coming from his end of the field. She smiled at the thought, but her expression fell as an all too familiar sense of unease crept up on her. A breeze carried something across the field; a sound from far away. Naomi's eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright.

"_Naomi…_" Not again. Not now. The girl scrambled to her feet, eyes searching frantically for Sakura—for _anybody_. But the field was empty now. Panting, Naomi put a hand to her temple and began turning around and around, feeling overly vulnerable in the open expanse of land. She stumbled until she reached the stream, bending down to splash cold water against her face. _'Just calm down, Naomi… just calm down.'_ On her knees, she closed her eyes and was met by a blissful silence. _'Okay… okay, see? It's fine. Just wait for—'_

"_Naomi._"

"Sakura!" She screamed, jumping to her feet just as the wind began to pick up. Her legs felt weak, threatening to fail beneath the force of the now brutal wind. It roared in her ears, drowning out all else except the voice that was now yelling her name. Naomi wrenched her eyes shut. And then the screaming began. The roar of the wind became a chorus of screams, shaking Naomi to her core. When she opened her eyes again, the field was dark. The huge boulders she'd seen earlier appeared to have exploded, the granite shards now scattered across the perimeter. Long, jagged cracks made patterns deep into the earth, and when her eyes fell back down to the stream, Naomi screamed.

The once clear water now ran red.

Naomi's high-pitched crying added to the symphony of howling that coursed through her eardrums. She screamed for Sakura, for Naruto, for Kakashi—she screamed for everybody, unable to escape this nightmare on her own. Buffeted by the tumultuous winds, Naomi collapsed to the ground. Another sound began then. It began as a quiet hum, a din beneath the calls of agony, but it steadily grew louder. It crackled against her, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end; she hid behind the refuge of her eyelids. And then, suddenly, Naomi recognized the sound. It was the same eerie drone she'd heard in that instant before lightning had touched down in front of her.

Someone was calling her name again, the voice much clearer—much more familiar. It was Sakura. _'Help me…'_ she tried to call back, but could not make another sound. Sakura's voice got louder, but Naomi couldn't understand what she was yelling.

"Naomi!" As Sakura called her name again, the storm torturing Naomi's mind and body simply blinked out of existence. She felt breathless, and warm—very warm. When her eyes cracked open she winced against the brightness of the sun. She tried to speak, but only managed to slip into a coughing fit that wracked her frame. She could hear Sakura's voice change, relief heavy in her tone. "Alright… alright, Sensei. I think that's enough." Suddenly, Naomi felt much lighter and didn't object to Sakura gently rolling her onto her back. "Hey," she cooed gently, touching Naomi's forehead with the back of her hand. Her skin was freezing, despite the summer heat. "Hey, Naomi, can you hear me?" The girl nodded weakly. "Good, good. I need you to open your eyes now." Naomi complied obediently.

As her vision came into focus, Naomi could make out Sakura leaning over her, watching her very carefully. Turning her head slightly, she saw Kakashi—without his book—standing a few feet away on her other side, and Naruto was just behind him, eyes wide and mouth open. "Great. Ready to sit up?" With a heave, Sakura helped push Naomi into an upright position. A pain erupted in her abdomen and she groaned, hugging an arm against her stomach. "Naomi," came Sakura's cool voice. "Do you remember what just happened?" Again, Naomi nodded. "Okay—tell me."

"I—" She coughed once more, agitating a pain that seemed scattered along her body. Taking a moment, she tried again, speaking with a quiet voice. "I was waiting… like you said… and then… that voice…"

"What voice?"

"…the one that… keeps calling my name… that's all it says… just my name."

"Alright, go on."

"And then… Sakura, the wind… it was so strong this time… and the screaming…" Judging the look on Sakura's face, Naomi knew this was not the story the kunoichi had been expecting—she was giving the wrong answer. "…the field… oh God… it was absolutely destroyed…" Kakashi's smooth voice surprised her and her eyes flickered toward him.

"Well, a little roughed up, but I wouldn't say destroyed." Sakura shushed him and he shrugged. She tried getting Naomi to continue, but the girl wouldn't look away from Kakashi. Now that she could see clearly, she noticed that the other half of his mask had been pulled down. And his eye… _'It… it's red.'_ He felt her eyes on him and matched her stare with one of his own. At last, she stammered out a question.

"What do you mean…?" Never before had the damage from her delusions been carried over into reality, so what had Kakashi meant by the phrase 'roughed up'? Sighing, Sakura pulled Naomi gently to her feet, allowing the girl a better view of her surroundings. "Huh…" she breathed. The terrain surrounding the group had definitely been disturbed. There were imprints and scuffs in the earth; some of the grass looked torn up in places. "But—"

"Would you like to hear what really happened?" Sakura asked quietly, keeping a hold on Naomi's upper arm to support her. The girl nodded, eyes shimmering with the desire to know.

"I'll tell ya what happened," Naruto suddenly yelled, jumping to attention. "Man, you were just like—whoa! How did you—" A look from Sakura stopped him dead in his tracks and he clamped his mouth shut. "I was only sayin'…" he murmured, kicking at the ground.

"When you told me about what happened with Tenten the day you sparred, I wasn't sure what to think. I believed you, I just wasn't sure why." Naomi nodded, eager to hear more. "Your headaches, the blackouts—something didn't make sense. But today I had an idea. Naomi, you _can_ remember things, and you do, you just don't realize it. Trust me on this—you know plenty about jutsu, and about how to execute them brilliantly." Naomi hadn't the slightest recollection of ever performing anything of the sort, but did not interrupt. "It's when you're _trying_ to remember how to do something that we hit a snag, but when your reflexes kick in…" Sakura breathed out, as if she'd seen something she didn't quite believe. "When I left you to wait here, you hadn't been expecting anything. I'd gone to find Kakashi and explained my theory—he agreed to help. Naomi…" The kunoichi trailed off, meeting Naomi's eyes and watching her reaction carefully. "I asked Kakashi to attack you."

Naomi's mouth fell open, her eyes darting back and forth between Sakura and her sensei. Kakashi only gave a slight nod, reaffirming what Sakura had just said. Gingerly, Naomi's fingertips brushed her abdomen as it continued to throb. Looking down at herself, she realized… _'I'm a mess.'_ Small cuts and deep bruises decorated the knuckles of both hands, her shins were red with tenderness, one of her shoulders was scraped and bloody, and her shirt was torn in several places where something had sliced cleanly through the material. "Oh my God…" she breathed.

"I can't quite explain your delusions—not yet. But I think I can say that, when you have them, you're blacking out. Just be aware of that." Naomi nodded, eyes still fixated on her injured body.

"I can see now how you could have faced Tenten without being touched," Kakashi remarked, laughing quietly as he pulled his mask back up to cover the left half of his face. Naomi's eyes found his, confusion bright behind them.

"What? How?"

"Because, Naomi," he began, voice characteristically level as he stated the obvious. "You are incredibly fast." Naruto, again, couldn't contain himself.

"Fast? She's faster than fast! I couldn't even _follow_ half of that fight—Naomi!" He was in her face then, tone pleading and eyes full of excitement. "_Please_, you need to train me to move like that. I—"

"Damn it, Naruto!" The blond yelped as Sakura aimed a blow to his head, jumping out of the way at the last second. In her rage, she chased him off, temporarily leaving Naomi alone with the silver-haired jounin. Without Sakura supporting her, Naomi had to re-find her balance, but managed to stay standing. Her eyes drifted around the area, uncomfortable in the silence.

"So... you really attacked me?" she asked, tone skeptical.

"I really did."

"What… what did I do?" Kakashi shrugged, retrieving his book from its hiding place and opening to a page as he began walking away.

"You attacked me back."


	9. Chapter 9

Nine: Shocking Developments

The sun hovered just above the horizon, painting the evening sky with wild splashes of oranges and pink, all set to dry on a dark blue canvas of the summer night. Naomi sat on the front veranda of the main building on the Hyuga compound, picking idly at the bandages Sakura had applied to her bloodied knuckles. A cricket chirped somewhere at her feet, and she let the rhythm rock her into a state of ease. After the day she'd had, the quiet of night was a welcome relief. She found herself thinking back to that afternoon, after things at the training field had quieted and Naomi had had the chance to speak with Sakura alone.

_ "So… what does this all mean?" Naomi asked quietly, watching as Sakura expertly mended the minor cuts and bruises along her body. The pink-haired kunoichi hummed thoughtfully._

_ "Well, if I were to be perfectly honest, I'm not really sure." Despite Sakura's lighthearted tone, Naomi's mouth formed a hard line and she furrowed her brow. Sakura caught the girl's disappointment. "Hey now, shouldn't you be excited? This is progress, Naomi; definite progress."_

_ "Yeah, I know, but Sakura… what _good_ does it do me? I still can't really remember anything without… you know. I need to black out first, and when I come to I'm back to square one."_

_ "True, true," Sakura murmured._

_ "Hey… would you mind telling Lady Tsunade for me? She asked to be kept updated, but I'm not sure I could handle her again so soon…" Sakura laughed, completely understanding the girl's trepidation._

_ "Of course, don't worry." A comfortable silence fell over the pair, Sakura moving on to Naomi's battered shins while the brunette watched a beetle sneaking through the grass. What a great life that beetle must have, she thought to herself. Everything must be so simple for a beetle. As she contemplated an insect's day to day routine, Sakura sat back to check her work. "You should be all set to heal—no real damage was done." Naomi smiled._

_ "Thanks. You're really good at this sort of thing. Do you work in the hospital?" Sakura grinned._

_ "Yes, absolutely. I like being able to help the people here, and it's a real advantage to have a medic as your teammate." She winked and Naomi smiled. Voice a bit more serious, Sakura continued. "Naomi… speaking of the hospital. I hope you don't mind, but, I actually found your medical report—remember the exam you underwent when you were first brought here?"_

_ "I do…" Naomi's eyes were suspicious. "It's alright, Sakura; I don't mind if you read it." The kunoichi appeared a bit more relieved, but there was still… something behind her spring-green eyes._

_ "Thanks. I did read it. Naomi…" She paused, searching for the best way to phrase her question. "Your results from the internal exam…" Naomi was suddenly very nervous._

"_What is it? Is something wrong with me?"_

"_Well, no. Not really."_

"_Not 'really'? What does that mean?" Naomi was growing increasingly frantic; Sakura put a hand on the girl's shoulder to calm her._

"_Naomi, you're fine. It's just… did you _know_ that something is halting your chakra flow?" At this, Naomi's anxiety was replaced by confusion. Chakra? Where was her chakra, and how could something halt it?_ 'Whatever it is,'_ she realized. _'It must be what had had that nurse looking so troubled…'_ She remembered the strange look on the young medic's face as she told Naomi everything had checked out fine. _'Liar.'

"_Sakura, what does that mean?" Sakura sighed, realizing Naomi would have no way of knowing whether or not she knew about her chakra._

"_Right, well… I'm not sure. If I could get a better look at—" She cut herself off abruptly, a spark of brilliance igniting in her eyes. "Of course!" She stood, pulling a quizzical Naomi to her feet. "A closer look—that's just perfect!" _

"_Sakura, what—"_

"_The Hyugas, Naomi." Naomi froze, blood draining from her face. Sakura saw Naomi's expression and rolled her eyes playfully. "Oh, relax—there are _other_ Hyugas, you know. I'll tell you what, in exchange for me reporting this update to Lady Tsunade, I want you to find Hinata and ask her to look at—no, to _scrutinize_ your chakra network, alright?" Still immensely confused, Naomi could only nod. "Good. You got that? Your 'chakra network'."_

"_Chakra network. Scrutinize. Got it. But, Sakura… what should she be looking for." Sakura grinned, the look of a scientist who was on the brink of great discovery._

"_Oh, I don't know—your chakra, for starters."_

As the sun began to set, Naomi groaned quietly. Where was Hinata? The shy Hyuga was nowhere to be seen since Naomi had returned to the compound. Part of her was glad—she wasn't ready for further confusion—and part of her was distressed; she desperately needed answers.

The familiar ring of the iron gates swinging open caught Naomi's attention and she looked up. Tenten and Neji were hovering at the entrance, Tenten talking excitedly about something Naomi couldn't hear. Quietly, Neji turned, his eyes landing on Naomi. _'Of course he saw me,'_ she thought cynically. _'Because Mr. Impressive over there can see freakin' everything.'_ She rolled her eyes and looked away. Tenten, having noticed her story had not held Neji's attention, followed the Hyuga's line of sight. Naomi could just make out her smile and returned the gentle wave. The brown-eye kunoichi lingered unsurely for a few seconds more before shrugging and bidding Neji goodnight. He saw her off, and when Tenten glanced back at him, smiling, something clicked with Naomi. _'Oh… oooooh, scandalous.'_ Naomi wanted to laugh, but didn't dare risk it for fear she'd be asked why. Latching the gate for the night, Neji made his way toward the steps on which Naomi perched. The sun had finished setting, but lights from the compound were enough to light the area. _'Not that darkness should bother him.'_ To her surprise, Neji paused just in front of her, stance loose. His eyes were narrowed, but at least they didn't burn.

"Hinata's been assigned a mission; she won't be home for a few days." Naomi suddenly felt startled. What? But she needed answers _now_. She—_'Hold on…'_

"How did… you know I was looking for her?" Neji had been out all day. He merely shrugged.

"I ran into Sakura." Blood drained from Naomi's face as she wondered how much Sakura had told the jounin.

"O-Oh… uh… okay. Thanks for telling me." Naomi waited for Neji to stride off, but something was keeping him there. She fidgeted uneasily, continuing to pick at her bandages. When she glanced at him, he was watching her, clearly sorting through something in his head. When at last he spoke, Naomi could tell it wasn't something he was particularly glad to be saying.

"She asked for my help instead." And there it was. Damn it, Sakura—Naomi hadn't agreed to asking for Neij's assistance. She swallowed dryly, doing her best to keep her chin up and shoulders square.

"Well, never mind. That really won't be necessary." She was curt, but Neji's quiet sigh told her it wasn't convincing.

"She said you'd be opposed," he remarked matter-of-factly. "She also said I should ignore your objections." Naomi's cheeks burned. In truth, she was feeling a bit of anger toward the pink-haired kunoichi just then. _'Oh come on, Sakura! You know you should've asked. You said it yourself, there are other Hyugas. Well! If there are so many, why did you pick _this_ one? You—'_ Neji's voice pulled her from her thoughts. "I've seen it already." Naomi blinked up at the jounin.

"Erm… sorry, what? You've seen what?"

"What Sakura read in the report. I know about the block in your chakra." Suddenly the pieces began to fall into place. The other day, when he'd asked her to hit the dummy, and she saw him use his Byakugan… he had already been one step ahead of Sakura's recent revelation, or at least just as close. But then what had he done? She remembered she'd been about to black out, but he'd gotten to her first and the delusions never came. Watching her now, Neji somehow seemed able to follow Naomi's train of thought. "Whatever it is that happens to you—what Sakura described as you 'blacking out'—that's when your chakra is released. When I hit you, I stopped it from happening." Naomi was blurting out the questions hardly before he'd finished speaking.

"How?"

"It's what I do," he remarked, as though the answer had been obvious. Naomi bristled.

"Well, so sorry, but not everyone around here knows all about _you_ and what _you_ do." The look on his face plainly said 'Actually, yes, they do.' but he didn't feel the need to voice as much. Still frustrated, Naomi continued to prod, demanding an explanation. "Alright then, how? How do you do it?" Neji's eyes drifted around the area, not particularly enthused by Naomi's questions.

"I can show you," he remarked, expression indecipherable. Naomi 'hmphed' and leaned back against the stairs.

"Alright then, knock yourself out." She waited expectantly. Neji scoffed, shaking his head.

"Follow me," he stated. Before he could turn to leave, Naomi, in her eternal wisdom, snapped back.

"Follow me… what?" She was demanding a 'please'. The Hyuga's eyes stabbed through her and she wished she could retract the sarcasm, but it was too late, so she just pretended not to be bothered by his smoldering glare.

"Follow me _now_," he spat, turning heel and striding back toward the gate. Kicking herself on the inside, Naomi caught up to the young man, surprised when he stopped after only a few feet and turned back around.

"Are you watching?" he asked. Naomi had been about to respond with 'obviously', but the look on Neji's face had her choking on her sarcasm. Her body tensed as realization sunk in. _'Crap.'_ When Neji moved, Naomi called out in surprise. He hit her three times in three separate places, each with hardly enough force to knock a bed lamp off of a nightstand—but the impact had sent Naomi sprawling to the ground. As she went to get to her feet, she realized with growing panic that she couldn't move.

Neji looked down at her, crouching to rest his elbows on his knees. He watched her crippled body twitch as it tried to regain control without success. With the smallest motion she could manage with her eyes, she was able to glance up at him, thoroughly hating the smug look he wore behind his eyes. "Normally," he began, voice calm. "I'd be aiming at the points on your body where your chakra was flowing, but, seeing as how you don't have any at the moment, your ordinary pressure points worked just as well." _'But you hardly touched me!'_ she screamed in her head, mental voice fueled by frustration. Reading her mind, Neji continued. "Just because I didn't hit very hard doesn't mean I didn't hit hard enough. You see, when _I_ hit you," he explained lowering a hand so Naomi could see it more closely. "I don't always need to rely on strength." Inside, Naomi gasped as the airspace in the few inches above Neji's upturned palm rippled, disturbed by something nearly invisible. Somehow she just understood that that was _his_ chakra.

As Naomi registered everything Neji had said—it was the most she'd heard him speak, ever—she felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. She tried to hide it, but her growing apprehension was clear in her eyes. This was a bad situation—this was dangerous. If Neji ever had cause to attack her, and got her like this… _'He thinks he _does_ have cause, and I _am_ like this.'_ …she'd be done for. Naomi noticed that clouds had begun to gather in the night sky, swiftly swallowing any visible star with darkness. Another summer storm was on its way in, moving discernibly fast. Naomi's apprehension steadily increased until just plain fear shimmered behind her cloudy blue eyes, and this, of course, did not go unnoticed.

"Oh, relax," Neji stated, tone sprinkled with resentment. "I told Sakura I'd help her—it wouldn't work if you were to turn up dead on some street corner. Now, don't move." Naomi did not miss the smirk playing at the corner of Neji's mouth. Unfortunately, he was enjoying this. Swallowing weakly, Naomi could only look on as the Hyuga's eyes suddenly became much more defined, the veins around them swelling to compensate for a rise in blood flow. A stillness settled over him, and he just seemed to be fixated on one point of Naomi's body. _'I wonder what he sees…'_ Naomi thought to herself. What would it be like to have a line of sight that covered an almost full three hundred sixty degrees? These thoughts kept Naomi distracted while Neji, as Sakura had requested, _scrutinized_ Naomi's chakra network. He knew Naomi had plenty of chakra on hand—he'd seen the beginnings of it—but he couldn't seem to figure out where it was hiding, or, better yet, _why_ it was hiding. His forehead creased as he concentrated, a touch upset that this scavenger hunt was not as simple for him as he had hoped.

As time continued to pass, Naomi had the pleasure of watching several mosquitoes come and go, their abdomens all swollen with her blood. _'Bite him, damn it. Not me.'_ A warm drizzle had also begun, the surrounding air hot with the expectation of a rising summer storm. Naomi couldn't help but feel a little on edge, recently becoming wary of anything that involved, you know, huge, destructive bolts of lightning. But Neji seemed unfazed by the inevitable rain—he hadn't moved since his scrutiny of Naomi had begun. _'Let's move it along, children. Naomi doesn't want to be rained on… or deep-fried.' _On cue, the clouds opened up, illuminated by a distant flash of lightning as water fell in heavy sheets. Naomi thought she heard Neji growl, his concentration finally broken, but most sounds were presently blocked by the pounding rain.

When he reached down, Naomi was anxious for him to undo her paralysis, but could only object in silence as he instead lifted her from the ever-flooding ground. _'I think I weigh nothing to him,'_ she thought, not at all comfortable by this turn of events. As Neji made his way to the shelter of the veranda, a bolt struck the lightning rod on top of a smaller building closer to the gate. He jumped at the sound, but the real look of surprise came when he looked down at Naomi. Halfway between the gate and shelter, he stopped. _'What? Helloo, I'm sort of, you know, DRENCHED. Let's keep the show moving!' _But her complaints went unanswered. Neji's eyes were rapidly surveying Naomi's body, causing the girl to feel more than just a little uncomfortable, but the look o his face told her that he'd found something.

He'd found something important.

Jaw set, Neji suddenly knelt down and lay Naomi back onto the muddy ground. In her head, she cursed at him—she despised mud. _'Just clean dirt,'_ she tried to tell herself. _'It's just very…wet… clean dirt.'_ Meanwhile, Neji was staring at the lightning rod. Another bolt had already struck down, which he found to be exceedingly unusual. With the third bolt, Neji had made up his mind. He had an idea, but if it didn't work, well… Sakura would probably skin him alive before Tsunade had the chance to demote him. With smooth movements, Neji bent down, leaning over Naomi and setting to work. Using utmost precision, he placed a fingertip, individually, at seven different points on Naomi's body, using seven different fingers. He sat back, meeting Naomi's questioning, spiteful eyes with a very serious expression.

"Right now," he began, voice nearly lost beneath the storm. "You just need to understand one thing: I am not trying to kill you." But. There was definitely a "but" hanging in the air after that sentence. But? But what? But there was a chance he _might_ kill her? Naomi screamed at him in her head, terror coursing through her lifeless body. She wanted so desperately to run, but Neji had taken that luxury away from her. As the jounin stood, he kept his fingers splayed out and palms facing Naomi. And as raindrops passed through where Neji's fingertips traced the air, Naomi could just barely make out the faintest of shimmers. He moved quickly, making his way toward the small building near the gate. He paused at the wall, and Naomi watched in silent astonishment as he walked backwards _up_ it. She didn't believe what she was seeing, but, really, after the things she's been a part of, how could she doubt anything anymore? Neji was on the roof now, seeming to hesitate as he peered back through the rain at the lifeless girl in his front yard. This idea was crazy, but he was almost positive it would solve a major problem.

Almost.

His actions carried a sense of finality as he strode toward the lightning rod. Inhaling deeply, he reached out with both hands and gripped the cold exterior. In the next instant, he'd leapt from the roof, taking shelter under a small awning, watching Naomi carefully. From a distance, she noted. Naomi did not get to see what happened next. The last thing she felt was that awful tingling sensation creeping along her body, and the last sound she heard was that quiet drone of static dancing in her ears.

VvVvV

Neji watched the scene play out with calculating eyes. With his Byakugan, he could easily make out the tendrils of chakra he'd strung from Naomi to the lightning rod. Hopefully, they would act as wires—he'd connected one to each of the seven pools of chakra, where, he hoped, Naomi's chakra was currently lying dormant. _'It has something to do with the lightning,' _he thought to himself, thinking back to the moment that this insane idea had sprung into his head.

When he'd been carrying her to the veranda and the lightning struck that first time, its energy coursed through the air. Neji didn't know why, but something within Naomi had stirred at the nearness of this energy; a pulse that reacted to the force of the storm. A pulse of chakra. There was a voice in his head that nagged at him incessantly. _"She saved your life," _it reminded him. _"And now you're probably about to kill her. Nice."_ But he pushed this voice aside. Neji was not impulsive, and he wasn't stupid—he knew how to filter through his gut reactions and interpret them accordingly. His idea was going to work.

The time for deliberation had come to an end. In the next second, a screech of lightning had cut through the air, causing the hairs along Neji's arms and neck to stand at attention. Faster than he could follow, the lines of his chakra leading to Naomi had disintegrated and her once lifeless body began to convulse. It looked as though she was screaming, but no sound escaped her. A brilliant flash forced Neji to shield his eyes, and when he looked back he saw Naomi, deathly still, sprawled in the mud. He made his way quickly to her side, lifting her from the ground and immediately heading for the shelter of the main building. On the slick, dry wood of the veranda, he lay the girl back down.

Reactivating his Byakugan, he scanned her for vitals, relieved to find a clear, visible heartbeat. Honestly, he'd been expecting to have to resuscitate her, and was now only more pleased that things had worked even better than he predicted. Excellently in fact.

Neji could see waves upon waves of chakra coursing throughout Naomi's body. Though he would never admit it, the sheer quantity of it was… well, it was impressive. Scorch marks dotted Naomi's clothes where the invisible wires had been connected, but her skin hardly seemed touched. Her resilience toward electricity was, for lack of a more humble word, profound. Exhaling quietly, Neji relaxed his eyes and made quick work of undoing the crippling-act he'd performed on the girl earlier. Now, when she came to, she'd be able to move. Hopefully.

Satisfied, Neji took a few minutes to sit and watch the storm seemingly dissipate before carrying Naomi to her room. As he made his way there, he briefly wondered how Sakura would take the news of how he'd handled the situation. He'd tell her honestly, of course, but her reaction promised to be interesting. And what of Naomi's reaction? _'Well,' _he mused indifferently. _'If somehow she didn't hate me before, I don't see how she couldn't now.'_

VvVvV

She was floating.

High above a world of rolling meadows and blazing sunlight, she was soaring. The chains which had kept her from flying had finally been broken—she felt light, and free. A warmth crawled into her core, spreading across her body and adding a glimmer to her eyes.

Higher. She climbed higher and higher before closing her eyes and letting herself fall, coming to rest on a silver cloud, which drifted in wait just below.

When Naomi stirred awake, the lightness from her dreams seemed to carry over into reality. She felt inexplicably rejuvenated, and healthier than she'd been in ages. Huddling beneath her soft, clean sheets, Naomi couldn't fend off a smile. Sighing contently, the brunette pulled her body into a full stretch, relishing in how it made her blood rush into each of her limbs.

"Ah…" she hummed, noticing someone had removed the bandages from her knuckles. She couldn't quite remember going to bed last night, but for the moment she wasn't concerned. That was, until—"Ah!" Naomi flailed, reflexively gathering the sheets around her body. She was wearing pajamas, but the sight of someone in her room had startled her immensely. "Whoa," she breathed, eyes wide. "Neji—what are you _doing?_" she snapped, glaring at the Hyuga who sat neatly in a chair across the room.

"Hinata has not returned," he grumbled. "I've been… _charged_—" She noted the acidity in his voice. "—with monitoring you."

"What? Monitoring…?" And then, in a flash, everything came flooding back to her. The storm, Neji, the mud…the lightning. "Oh… God," she breathed, eyes immediately scanning her body for any missing parts or signs of injury. "What did—How—But—Why is—" Suddenly, she gasped, face turning a ghostly white. "Neji…" she called out meekly. "Did… were you the one to…" She couldn't ask such an unthinkable question, but, after only a moment, Neji caught on. He scoffed indignantly.

"No," he stated conclusively. "No, I absolutely did not dress you." He paused, and then added "I also did not undress or bathe you," for good measure. He spoke matter-of-factly, and Naomi felt incredible relief wash over her.

"Oh… oh good." There was a short pause while she gathered her thoughts, extricating herself from the mess of sheets and—carefully—getting to her feet. She found she could stand quite easily, considering her recent ordeal, and was quite pleased with this. Inhaling quietly, Naomi suddenly whirled on Neji. "What. Were. You. _Thinking_." The Hyuga's eyebrows actually lifted the slightest bit in surprise; he had not expected Naomi to awaken with such… fortitude. "Your plan was to _electrocute me?_ Are you _brainless?_ Tell me," she snapped, now pacing back and forth in front of the young man, eyes wild. "At what point did you decide that it might have been a good idea, ever? Was it before or after you'd been killed by lightning striking _near_ you? Or maybe you thought, 'Hey, I bet a direct hit might do less damage!' Is that what happened? Oh, and, _and_, who do you think you are, paralyzing me like that? Does Sakura know about this? You just wait, when I tell her, she—"

"She _knows_," Neji proclaimed, jaw twitching in agitation. Do not hit her, he told himself. It would be wrong to hit her… but, man, did he ever want to hit her.

"_What?_ She knows? Well, then where is she? Hm? I've got a few things to say to her, too." Naomi had no idea where all of this backbone had suddenly sprouted from, but it felt incredible so she didn't try to settle herself. Even when Neji had pushed out of his chair and stood before her, Naomi did not back down. She simply straightened to her full height and glared up into his eyes. Normally he only had a couple of inches over her, but with her in bare feet and him in sandals, the difference was much more imposing. "Out of my face," she spat. "I'm not through. I—"

"If you would just—"

"No! No, you do _not_ get to interrupt me. You are _so_—" Naomi hadn't really been expecting Neji to move like he did. Quite suddenly, the girl was ranting into a mouthful of bed sheets and her arms were pinned behind her. As she struggled, however, she was quite delighted with how… how strong she felt. She was no match against Neji's hold, but she could feel the tension in his arms as he worked to pin her there.

"I _helped_ _you_," he spat, raising his voice to be heard above her muffled profanities. "Why does it matter how?" It was in that moment that Sakura decided to arrive on scene.

"Hey, Neji what's all that—what the hell? Neji! Get off of her!"

"Oh good," Neji snapped at the kunoichi. "You're here, she's awake—excellent. You can deal with her." With those parting words, the Hyuga stalked out of the room, slamming the door shut as he left. Sakura was with Naomi in the next instant, pulling a sheet off of her head and sitting her upright.

"Hey, easy. Are you alright? What just happened? Neji was supposed to come find me as soon as you woke up." Naomi sat beside Sakura, breathless from yelling and quivering with adrenaline. She glared straight ahead, doing what she could to settle her breathing.

"God, Sakura… he is such an _ass_." At this, Sakura began to laugh, placing a hand on the other girl's shoulder.

"Oh, trust me, Naomi. I know."


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: **Alright, first off I want to thank everyone for sticking with me this far and commenting on what they like. Secondly, I'd like to apologize. I realize the description says Neji is the pairing for this story, and I know I haven't been developing too much with him so far, but please continue to be patient! They can't go from hating each other to suddenly feeling all gushy; I'd like this to be realistic ;)

Ten: Sampling

A few days had passed since Naomi's awakening. She wanted so badly to get out and keep busy—she had all of this fresh energy that was itching to be spent—but Sakura had her confined to the compound, and, even then, it was mostly to her room.

"You suffered severe electric shock," the kunoichi would explain. "I want you to take it easy until I'm sure there aren't any side-effects." Naomi could only begrudgingly comply. When she'd confronted Sakura about Neji being recruited to help, Sakura offered an apology. "But see what good it did?" Naomi only rolled her eyes. Yeah, what a fun time.

She hadn't seen much of the jounin since he'd stormed out of her room after the yelling match. Naomi got the feeling that, when he had free time, Sakura was giving him plenty of excuses not to bother her. "She's been excused from all assignments until I give her the okay," Naomi had once overheard Sakura saying just outside her bedroom door. That had been the only indicator of any interaction with the Hyuga, from what Naomi could tell. _'Good,'_ Naomi often found herself thinking. _'His face is annoying, anyways.'_

Today she was waiting for Sakura to check up on her. Restless, she sat bouncing lightly on the edge of her bed. She couldn't take being stuck inside much longer—she felt fine! Great, in fact; never better. But Sakura wasn't easy to convince. When there was a knock on her door, Naomi practically flew across the room and barreled across the threshold. Breathless with anticipation, she tore the door open.

"Sakura! Can I _please_—oh!" It was not Sakura. Naomi was staring into the wide eyes of the softest-spoken Hyuga. "Hinata, I'm sorry. I thought you were someone else." Hinata smiled warmly, tucking a lock of her long, raven tresses behind her ear.

"No problem, Naomi. I-I just wanted to come and… and see how you are?" Naomi's heart melted and she invited Hinata into the room where they both perched on the edge of the unmade bed. _'Everyone must love her,'_ she concluded quietly to herself. The young kunoichi was just so absolutely endearing—the polar opposite of some _other_ people Naomi would not be mentioning.

"I'm fantastic—I really am."

"O-Oh, really? Are your memories—"

"No, it's still pretty empty up here," Naomi quirked, tapping a finger against her temple. Hinata smiled, her eyes dancing with laughter, and Naomi chuckled. "That was an awfully long mission you were on," Naomi mused. "I came looking for you the day you left." Hinata's expression suddenly became concerned, face covered by apology.

"I'm so sorry… d-did you need me for something?" Naomi smiled reassuringly and put a light hand on the other girl's shoulder.

"Hinata, please, it's fine. Really. We found…" Naomi's tone inadvertently dropped. "…someone else to help."

"H-Help? Help with what?" Now Naomi was beaming. Abruptly, she stood and held her arms out at her sides.

"Take a look!" she chimed excitedly. Hinata stared a Naomi, obviously confused but trying to comply. Her eyes scanned the brunette up and down, but wasn't sure what she was supposed to be seeing.

"Um, Naomi, sorry, b-but I—" Naomi laughed and Hinata jumped.

"No, no, I mean, look _inside_. You know, with your crazy eyes—I mean, you have the Byakugan, too, right?" Suddenly Naomi was wondering if the strange eye-pigmentation and one's ability to conjure up x-ray vision always went hand-in-hand. Hinata nodded and Naomi watched as the technique was activated. "Well?" she prompted, voice eager.

"My, Naomi… th-that's… wow." Hinata didn't know many people whose chakra flowed so freely and at such an overwhelming capacity. Even with someone like Naruto, whose chakra stores were untold amounts, but could only tap into it at… at _certain_ times. Now, with Naomi, it was just all there, ready and at her disposal.

"I know! I feel so incredible, Hinata, I can't even describe it." De-activating her Byakugan, Hinata smiled at her friend, sincerely glad to see her so happy.

"Th-This is great news, Naomi. R-Really great." Naomi stretched her arms high into the air and inhaled deeply just as Hinata stood to leave.

"Aw, heading out already?" Naomi was disappointed. She hadn't seen anybody besides Sakura for days. "You can't stay? Sakura's been kind of brutal with this whole 'house-arrest' deal. She—"

"She what?" The tone in that voice immediately cut Naomi off and she whirled around to face her open doorway.

"Sakura! So lovely to see you! I was just telling Hinata here about how much I've been enjoying your company, right? Right Hinata?" The blushing Hyuga could hardly contain her laughter, quietly excusing herself from the room. Naomi scratched the back of her head, smiling nervously at the pink-haired kunoichi leering back at her. "See? Right." Sakura rolled her eyes, a grin playing on her expression.

"Yeah, alright. You can save it. I'm taking you out today." As those words sunk in, Naomi was washed, dressed, and sprinting past Sakura out the door. The kunoichi could only sigh in exasperation and call after her. "Wrong way—Naomi! Wrong way!"

vVvVv

"Sakura," Naomi whispered as the pair approached the field; this one had the stream. "Who are all those people?" A group of seven individuals—a few familiar, a few not—were scattered around the premises; some chatting, some stretching lazily in the sun, and some _'Still reading that book.'_ Sakura smirked.

"They're just some friends. I told Lady Tsunade about everything that's happened, and she gave me the 'okay' to explore things further, so… today, we're exploring." Naomi groaned audibly, shoulders slumping. "What, were you expecting a picnic?"

"Well… yeah, actually. That'd be nice. Can we—"

"No. Exploring, remember?"

"Fine," Naomi huffed. "But I want that picnic…"

"Alright! It's about time!" Naruto's blatant excitement gave Naomi a bad feeling. What did Sakura have in mind for her 'exploring'? The blonde's shout caught the attention of the others, and, one by one, they gathered in a loose circle. Sakura spoke up.

"Okay—everyone? This is Naomi. Naomi, this is… well, this is everyone." Naomi's stormy blue eyes drifted around the group, silently calling off the names of the people she recognized. _'Naruto… stranger… Kakashi… approachable stranger… Tenten, Lee… stranger danger to the max.'_ Nervous, she managed a polite smile, edging a fraction closer to Sakura. She didn't like being the center of attention.

"Hello," she chimed, tone light. Sakura clapped her hands together.

"Alright, so, the people that you haven't met, Naomi, are Ino Yamanaka—" She gestured to the kunoichi—_'Stranger'_—with long, bleached tresses. "—the one in the hood is Shino Aburame—" Naomi shifted uncomfortably. _'Stranger danger.'_ "—and," Sakura paused, clearing her throat and raising her voice with frustration. "The one who is currently _not paying attention_, is Shikamaru Nara." The young man standing off to the side with his hands in his pockets wore a vest that matched Kakashi's. His expression was placid, if not bored, and when Sakura shouted he lazily brought his eyes over to her, and then to Naomi. "Hey," was all he said before his attention went elsewhere once again. Naomi smiled. _'Approachable stranger.'_ Sighing, Sakura continued. "I'm assuming, Kakashi, that you've already briefed them all about this afternoon?"

"I have," the silver-haired man replied coolly over the pages of his book. Naomi eyed her companion warily. _'Not fair,'_ she wanted to complain. _'I haven't been briefed…'_

"Good, thank you. Alright guys, you can all go relax for now, just don't wander too far. I'll fetch you when I need you." The idle chatting began as smaller groups broke away, leaving Naomi standing with Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi. The orange-clad shinobi was fidgeting excitedly from side-to-side.

"Can we start now, Sakura? Come on! Let me go first, would ya? I—" A warning glare from Sakura shut him up.

"Alright, enough—Sakura, _what_ are we starting?" Naomi watched the kunoichi with a hard, cautious expression. The other girl grinned, a spark of knowing illuminating her eyes.

"Well, Naomi, now that your chakra is on hand again, I wanted to see how you might react to different… situations." Naomi did not miss the hesitation on that word.

"What kind of situations, Sakura?" she asked, bracing herself for the answer. Sakura's eyes looked almost devilish as she responded.

"Combat situations."

She practically had to throw Naomi to the ground to keep her from trying to run away. "_What? _You're not serious! No way—I don't want to be a training dummy! And why are there so many people here?" But she already feared she knew the answer to that.

"Relax! Each one will only be a few minutes, and it won't hurt. Not too badly. That's why you have me, the medic—piece of cake, I promise. I asked them all here because each of them is highly skilled in very unique ways. You wouldn't believe how difficult it was to find a time when they were all free—hey." Sakura paused to put her hands defiantly on her hips, one eyebrow raised. "Not everyone could make it—just be grateful I didn't wait for a day when Neji was free, too." Naomi bristled. _'Actually,' _she thought coldly. _'I might like to try and hit him.'_ She clamped her mouth shut. "Good, we'll start with something basic and work up from there."

"Whatever," Naomi grumbled under her breath.

"Naruto?"

"Hey, alright! I—wait a sec… why do you think _I _should be the basic? I'm better than that! Why don't _you_ go first?" Sakura moved to hit him, but Naomi's high pitched question distracted her.

"Wait, wait—Sakura, I'm going to fight _you_, too?" Sakura shrugged, smiling indifferently.

"Well, duh. We need to try as big a variety as possible." Today was just getting better and better. Begrudgingly, Naruto stepped forward while Kakashi and Sakura cleared away. Naomi could feel one or two other curious pairs of eyes watching the scene, but forced herself not to find out who they belonged to. The pressure she felt was sickening. The brunette stood as she was, watching with growing nervousness as Naruto fell into a stance to spar. _'Should I do that, too?'_ But she didn't have much time to wonder—Sakura had yelled "Go."

Naomi watched, horrified, as Naruto ran straight for her. _'Come on,'_ she thought desperately. _'Come on, chakra! Do something!'_ But when nothing happened and Naruto was still closing in, Naomi did the only thing she could think to do.

She ran away.

"Wha—Hey!" Naruto pursued for a few frightening seconds before Sakura's voice reined him in. Naomi could hear someone giggling from across the field.

"Alright, alright, hold on. I need to think for a minute." Still high off of her adrenaline kick, Naomi halted in her sprint and watched Sakura from a distance. She felt surprisingly un-winded after running so far. Eventually, Sakura called her back over. When she hesitated, Sakura shot her a look that warned her not to make the kunoichi have to come and retrieve her. Murmuring under her breath, Naomi returned to the others. "I think I have a solution," Sakura chimed, untying the plated headband she wore in her hair and moving to put it across Naomi's face. The girl moved away.

"Hey, what are you doing?" she snapped. Sakura huffed indignantly.

"Just trust me, alright? Do this, and I really will take you on that picnic." Naomi eyed the pink-haired girl suspiciously.

"You promise?" she prompted, tone uncertain.

"Cross my heart. Now, stand still." And then the world was dark. Sakura tied the cloth band securely over Naomi's eyes; the girl could feel the metal plate pressing against the side of her head. "Right—that'll have to do. Now, Naomi, you're not going to hear me say 'go'—I need you to just relax as much as possible, got it?"

"Yeah, sure—relaxed. Funny." As silence fell over her, Naomi focused on deep-breathing exercises, doing what she could to calm her nerves. She remembered something Sakura had told her back when Kakashi had surprise attacked her._ "It's when you're _trying_ to remember how to do something that we hit a snag, but when your reflexes kick in…"_ Naomi could now follow Sakura's train of thought with the headband. If she didn't know what was coming, she couldn't prepare, and, if Sakura had been correct, Naomi would just react accordingly. _'I must have been trained extensively to have such… reliable reflexes,'_ she pondered. She only hoped she could keep from blacking out this time. _'Maybe whatever was stemming my chakra was also the cause of my—'_ Suddenly, she was moving.

She could hear a rush of air as Naruto's fist cut through the air where Naomi's face had just been. An energy surged through her body as the evasions continued. She heard Naruto yell out in frustration as he doubled his efforts—he couldn't touch her. When Sakura called for the spar to end, Naomi heard Naruto's heavy, angry breathing.

"Not even warmed up…" she heard him grumble, and she couldn't help but snicker. She felt exhilarated, lifting a portion of the makeshift blindfold away from her eyes to peek at Sakura. The kunoichi was beaming, pleased that yet another of her theories had proven correct.

"That was fantastic. Now, get ready." She gestured for Naomi to replace the blindfold.

"Who's—"

"Shush." Silence again. When she felt the blow coming, Naomi's eyes grew wide behind the blindfold. She moved just in time to feel a surge of energy rush by, the ground shaking with the impact. _'Holy sh—' _There was no time for thinking—only moving. Another incoming wave had Naomi ducking low to the ground, rolling away as yet another burst of power smashed into the earth. Unable to contain herself, Naomi straightened and held up her hands.

"Whoa! Whoa!" She quickly removed her blindfold and saw Sakura standing before her, adjusting the pair of gloves her hands now sported.

"Hey, you're not supposed to look!" she reprimanded, but only laughter shone in her eyes. Naomi looked around. Two massive cracks cut into the earth where Sakura had hit.

"God, Sakura… I had no idea…" Sakura shrugged, proud of Naomi's astonishment.

"Oh, it's nothing. Anyways, let's keep going. Now, Naomi, I still don't want you to concentrate _too_ much, but try to focus just enough to move into the offensive, alright?" Readjusting her blindfold, Naomi hummed unsurely.

"Well, okay, I'll try. But—"

"Quiet now." The silence was longer this time, Naomi just barely able to hear Sakura's footsteps as she went off to collect one of the others. Part of her was relieved—she wasn't looking forward to facing Kakashi, who she knew was standing just nearby. The time she had been up against him was the only time she'd actually sustained any injury during a blackout. The other part of her was increasingly apprehensive. Half of the people here she'd never seen before—Naomi had no idea what they could do. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the faintest whistle. Naomi dodged something she had no name for, and suddenly felt herself dancing around a mess of projectiles. _'Tenten.'_ It had to be Tenten.

Remembering what Sakura had said about trying to land an attack herself, Naomi attempted to will her body into working offensively. Nothing happened, so she kept trying, but too soon Sakura was calling the spar to an end. As Tenten gathered her weapons, she smiled a bit at Naomi, who had removed the blindfold. "At least you didn't try to kill me this time around," she joked, but the light did not reach her pensive brown eyes. _'She's upset,'_ Naomi thought. _'Frustrated that she couldn't hit me. Again.'_ Sighing, Naomi looked around for Sakura, her heart leaping uncomfortably when she realized a small audience had gathered. Damn.

"Well, were you trying to attack?" Sakura's voice.

"Yeah… I mean, I think."

"Okay, that's fine. Just keep trying."

"Sakura," Kakashi called, idly flipping a page in his book. "Naomi's speed is clearly her greatest advantage—don't you think?" Something passed between the two and Naomi knew the jounin had just given Sakura an idea. Blinded once again, Naomi waited to find out what this idea might be. She didn't need to wait very long. The identity of Naomi's next opponent wasn't difficult to piece together.

Lee was exuberant in his onslaught, calling out proclamations of battle and excitement. _'Fast. Very fast.'_ Naomi's mind raced. _'Just… please stay faster.'_ Evading was not as easy in this match. Naomi found herself having to physically block Lee's attacks more often than not. But, again, the impacts weren't nearly as painful as she was braced for them to be. As the shinobi's shin caught Naomi's forearm, she felt something change. Her body suddenly shifted and, before she could think about what was happening, she'd snaked her arm around Lee's leg and brought her own leg up.

She wasn't expecting to hit him—to hit anybody—but she had. She'd caught the jubilant young man off-guard and managed to strike his hip. Sakura ended the spar.

"Naomi, that display was brilliant! The beauty you bring to this field is radiant. Please! Let me—" Before he could finish, Tenten was shuffling him away. Naomi inhaled deeply, mesmerized by her accomplishment. Sakura gave her a wink.

"I knew you'd figure it out. But, now I have another request, Naomi. Naruto, Tenten, Lee, and myself—we're all strongest in physical combat. From here on, you'll be up against… other methods of fighting; genjutsus and the like. Just… be aware of that." Sakura paused, and Naomi did not miss the sideways glance she threw toward Kakashi. "And, remember, _you have chakra, too_." Swallowing dryly, Naomi could only nod, waiting patiently in her dark world. She had a bad feeling.

Nothing happened. For the longest time, silence stretched on and on. Here, in the quiet, in the dark, Naomi felt incredibly uneasy. Whoever she was facing in that instant was toying with her, trying to push her mind off-kilter; it was working. Somewhere in the shadows, a sound began. It sounded like… _'Wings.'_ It sounded like hundreds and hundreds of wings were flapping ever closer, a massive flock of birds encircling the girl and flying too near. Naomi backed up a pace, turning this way and that to try and find where the sound was originating from, but she couldn't. It was everywhere. _"You'll be up against… other methods of fighting… be aware of that." _Sakura's warning rang out beneath the chorus of feathers and a cold realization sunk in. This is what she was talking about.

Naomi tried to cover her ears, but the sound would not dampen. It was so _loud_. Unable to stand it, she tried to remove her blindfold, but, just as her fingertips brushed against the cloth, a pain flared down her side. She went skidding along the ground_, _her shoulder taking the brunt of the fall. She wasn't given the opportunity to wonder how or why she couldn't deflect the attack, because a solid kick to her other side had lifted her into the air. Suddenly, she felt herself rolling in her freefall, feeling someone's fist pass just underneath her. _'It's the birds,'_ she realized. _'I can't hear anything else.'_ With all of her senses blanketed by the illusion, Naomi scrambled for something to tie her to reality. When she hit the ground, landing in a crouch, she thought maybe she was getting the hang of things. That is, until a blow to her back sent her sprawling forward.

Her body reacted naturally and she fell into a roll, on her feet in the next instant. The flapping birds were incessant. Naomi clenched her jaw, bracing for the next hit that was sure to land, when something stirred within her. Without knowing what was happening or how, a burst of energy began to crackle in Naomi's ears. Goosebumps raced down her spine as the sound became deafening, and then, all at once, it stopped. And with it went the sound of birds. It was silent again, except for the swoosh of that fist rushing toward her face.

The instant she realized what was going on, Naomi had lifted a hand and caught someone's fist in her own. _'Hey! I—'_ A second fist silenced her thoughts. Her mind stilled as she felt that she'd moved behind someone, positioned back-to-back with her opponent. Something clicked, and suddenly she was whirling around, her own fist speeding toward the adversary's skull. But where there was once a body, she felt only wood, hearing a hollow knock as she managed to strike a log. _'…what?' _Out of nowhere, there was a hand on the back of Naomi's neck and she was being forced face down into the grass. A weight pressed against her spine and something cold brushed her neck; she froze immediately.

"Okay! Okay! Nice going, spar's over," Sakura called. "…Kakashi."

"Hm?"

"You can get off now." And just like that, the weight was lifted from her back and Naomi was scrambling to stand, removing her blindfold. At last, she felt winded.

"Whoa," she breathed, eyes wide. "That was…"

"AWESOME," Naruto interjected. Sakura rolled her eyes and nudged Naomi, speaking quietly beside her.

"He had to put his book away—nice going." Naomi watched as Kakashi strode off, removing the book from his pocket and finding what page he had left off on. Cool.

The next two matches were enlightening. Naomi was, apparently, immune to Shino's insects; whenever they entered a certain radius of her body, they simply fell from the air, mostly stunned but some, unfortunately, dead. The only indications Naomi had that anything at all was happening—that the spar had even started—were the outbursts of energy she'd felt radiating away from her. The pulses were sporadic, and each made the small hairs along her arms and neck stand on end. Naomi didn't see Shino murmur something to Sakura, and the next spar began.

It was discovered that Naomi was, in fact, quite vulnerable to Shikamaru's shadow techniques. Once they had her, she could feel her body toiling behind the restraints, but she could not break free. The shadows at her feet flickered unnaturally, disturbed by something, but it wasn't enough to make them release their hold. The final match—against Ino, Naomi knew—was, in a way, the most interesting of all. It was also the shortest.

Upon Sakura's request, Ino began the spar by issuing her Mind-Body Transfer technique. Naomi didn't know what was going on, but a sickly, distressed feeling boiled in her stomach. All at once, pain erupted within her skull and she stumbled backward, tearing the headband away from her eyes. She cried out, gripping her head tightly to fend off the pain. Across from her, she could hear Ino forcefully being thrown backward, releasing a startled yelp of surprise. As she did, the pain in Naomi's head evaporated, the only evidence of its existence being the dull throbbing she could feel in her temples. After checking with Ino and being brushed off, Sakura was at Naomi's side, kneeling beside her in the grass.

"Are you alright?"

"Ugh…"

"That was, um…"

"_Painful_."

"I was thinking 'interesting', but sure; whatever works." Sakura's eyes were contemplative and she looked around for Kakashi. "Where did he…? Oh, never mind." She sighed, calling Shikamaru over instead. Before he arrived, Sakura turned to Naomi and whispered "He's the laziest genius I know." The young man took his time approaching, both hands clasped behind his head and eyes staring up into the sky.

"Yeah?" His tone was flat, voice unhurried.

"You remember what I told you about Naomi's memories, and the lockdown of her chakra, right?" In the pause that followed, Naomi had time to wonder what else Sakura said about her, and to whom she said it.

"Mhm." He hardly seemed interested in the issue Sakura was getting at.

"Why do you think Ino's jutsu didn't work? No, it didn't just not work—why did it fail so… violently?" Sighing, Shikamaru dropped his hands and slid them into his pockets, shrugging.

"Who's to say? I mean, it could be anything." Clearly Sakura was not about to readily accept such a vague assessment. Shikamaru sighed again. Naomi felt a tad uncomfortable being the topic of discussion without actually participating in said discussion, but didn't say as much. She felt eyes on her, and looked up to meet the young man's leisurely stare. There was no pressure behind his gaze, but Naomi could tell—she just knew he was looking at her very closely. "When you unblocked her chakra, that doesn't necessarily mean you also took down the block on her memories." Sakura blinked, for once looking unsure of herself.

"But… she has amnesia. You… you think that someone also purposefully erased her memories?" Shikamaru shrugged, eyes drifting away to stare across the field.

"Yeah, seems likely, especially with how she responded to Ino's attempt at a mental take-over." Sakura bit her lip, eyes distant. Now, finally, Naomi found a moment to speak.

"But... why?" Both shinobi glanced her way, as if realizing she was there for the first time. Shikamaru shrugged again and sighed; this was a troublesome issue. With his uninspired gait, he turned and began walking away, speaking indifferently over his shoulder.

"I suggest you find the person who did it, and ask them that same question."


	11. Chapter 11

Eleven: Better Days

Since the day of Sakura's "exploration", she'd taken Naomi off bed-rest. The girl could now move about as she pleased, no longer confined to her room, and rejoin Guy's team for sessions and assignments. Fortunately, her first day of excursion was open—there was absolutely nowhere she was scheduled to be for the entire day. As long as she remained within Konoha's walls and was back at the Hyuga compound for sunset, Naomi could do as she pleased with her time.

Excitement rippled throughout her body as she greeted an early morning. Stretching, she peered out her bedroom window and smiled, greeting the sun as it began to lift above the village. Wasting no precious time, Naomi dressed in the summer outfit she'd laid out the night before—her new casual, beige kimono—and, feeling extra indulgent, she found a white ribbon in her dresser and used it as a headband. She was beaming as she started her walk into town.

Naomi let herself wander, turning down smaller side streets and window shopping along storefronts she hadn't seen before. She smiled at people when they passed, bidding them a good morning. When she finally made it to the center of the village, it was almost noon. With the coins she still had in the purse from Tsunade, Naomi purchased an irresistibly shiny, red apple from a fruit vendor on her way by. She turned it over in her hands as she walked on, absentmindedly cleaning it on the material of her kimono until it glistened deliciously in the sun.

As she made her way through the busiest section of Konoha, Naomi's eyes drifted across the street. Almost immediately, they settled on Tenten sitting quietly in a teashop, sipping gently from her cup and smiling. Naomi began to make her way over, but then she froze. Tenten wasn't alone. She was sitting with… who was that? Naomi stretched up onto her tiptoes and shielded the sun from her eyes, peering through the crowds into the teashop. The stranger's back was to Naomi, but just as Tenten glanced her way, she realized who it was. _'Oh… him.'_ Neji sat across from Tenten at their small table.

Naomi dropped back onto her heels and tilted her head questioningly at Tenten, who, after some hesitation, gestured to an empty seat. The message was clear, though reluctant: "Wanna join?" Quickly, Naomi smiled, shook her head, and trained her eyes on Neji. She crinkled her nose and put her tongue out: "Thanks, but no way." She hadn't spent time with Tenten in a while, which was too bad, but she also hadn't seen Neji in ages, which was fabulous. Even at a distance, the relief was clear in Tenten's eyes. She nodded and brought her attention back to the table. Naomi continued on her way, relishing in the crisp sound her apple made as she bit into its ruby skin.

With no particular destination in mind, Naomi found herself on the outskirts of the village. She could see the wall plainly as it stretched toward the cliffs that loomed over one end of Konoha. Content, she turned and began walking along the loop of the village perimeter. She wasn't sure how far the entire distance around would be, and she didn't really expect to complete the circle, but, for now, this direction worked just as well as any other. Finishing her apple, she tossed the core into some bushes and wiped her hands on her clothes, pausing to check the time. From the position of the sun, blaring mercilessly overhead, it was now after noon, and the temperature felt to be rising accordingly. Exhaling quietly, Naomi picked out some trees in the distance—probably the start of the woods that stretched along either training field—and made a beeline toward them. Some shade would be nice.

As the summer heat reached its peak for the day, Naomi was slipping beneath the protective canopy of the forest. She sighed contently, making her way deeper and deeper into the expanse of trees. Here, where the sun couldn't always reach the forest floor, the air felt cool and fresh. Naomi inhaled the earthy aromas greedily. For now, for today, her life was simple and good.

vVvVv

Naomi hadn't realized she'd dozed off until something was causing her to stir awake. Half-conscious, she felt an unsettling sense creeping up in the back of her mind. The instant before she opened her eyes, Naomi felt her hand shoot out and latch onto something warm. Startled now, Naomi sat up, wide-eyed, and tried to make sense of the situation. Looking down, she yelped quietly when she saw a young red-squirrel, currently paralyzed with fear, quivering in her hand.

"Oh my," she breathed, loosening her grip as her nerves quieted. With her free hand, she gently ran a finger over the rodent's head and cooed quietly. "So sorry, little guy—feeling a bit curious today?" The squirrel must have been sniffing at Naomi while she slept, trying to figure out what the thing at the base of its tree was. Squeaking timidly, the squirrel squirmed in her hand and Naomi released her hold. The little creature stumbled at first, a bit stunned, but then scampered away, disappearing into the gnarling roots of another tree. _'Cute.'_

It wasn't until that moment that Naomi realized the unsettling feeling she'd felt before had yet to disappear. At this point, Naomi knew enough to trust this apprehensive edge she instinctively seemed to pick up on. Slightly anxious now, she slowly got to her feet and let her eyes drift across the wooded area, picking up on a sense of urgency lingering in the air. It was only late afternoon, so she couldn't have been sleeping that long before whatever it was causing the tension had found her there. The woods were very quiet—Naomi could only hear her own breathing. She began to wonder what she would possibly do if something _actually_ dangerous suddenly charged out of hiding and tried to devour her. _'I can't actually do anything unless…'_ Of course. Inhaling deeply, Naomi pulled the ribbon from her hair and secured it around her eyes, blocking out the world with darkness. Then, she waited.

When Naomi finally moved, she, of course, had no idea why, but felt herself push from the ground into a back flip. There was a dull thud as something metal sank into the tree she'd been standing in front of. She swallowed dryly. _'Why is someone—'_

"I wanted to see for myself." At the sound of his voice—his cold, calculated voice—Naomi's hands shot up and ripped the ribbon from her face. But, before she saw Neji, she realized something troubling. She was currently perched against a tree trunk… sideways. She gasped and went tumbling to the ground as the chakra binding her hands and feet to the bark dissipated in her confusion. She stood quickly, wiping dirt from her knees and palms, and glared at the Hyuga who stood several yards away. Cheeks flushed, Naomi retied the white ribbon into her hair before folding her arms defiantly across her chest and shifting her weight to one leg.

"You're just bent on keeping me from enjoying myself," she remarked snidely. Every time, it seemed, that Naomi had finally found a way to relax, Neji was just… there. Whenever things were going better for her, he came along and turned them around. Damn it. "I'm allowed to be by myself—didn't you get that memo?" She was so tired of him.

"Tenten told me about Sakura's exercise," he began, tone flat and slightly disinterested. "She said that the only way you stood a chance in battle was if you were blind." Naomi shrugged. What he said was plain truth, but the _way_ he said it… Neji could make anything sound like an insult.

"Yeah," was all Naomi said in return, voice sharp. Briefly, she thought back to when she'd first met Neji. _'I never would have dared to even look at him the wrong way back then,'_ she remembered, somewhat amused by herself and her changing attitudes. Something dawned on Naomi then and she glanced at the tree behind her, eyes narrowing onto the kunai that jutted from the trunk. Angry, she whirled around and tore it out, holding it up toward Neji. "What is this? You think it's funny to go around throwing really sharp things at people who are minding their own—"

"It didn't touch you," Neji scoffed. Something flashed behind his eyes then, and he continued. "Actually, from what Tenten's told me, nothing can touch you. Only Kakashi was able to bring you down." Naomi felt herself bristling and she sighed coarsely—he was baiting her to tell him more, and she didn't want to give him that satisfaction.

"Yeah," she repeated, matching her tone from before. In her frustration, Naomi threw Neji's kunai off into the trees. The throw was clumsy, but she pretended not to notice. _'Bet I could hit anything with my eyes closed,'_ she joked silently. Neji didn't even look to see where it landed—he had plenty. The jounin was quiet for a long time, contemplating something. Naomi met his silence with some of her own. _'You're face is so annoying. Maybe that's why you're angry all of the time. I bet—'_

"I want to try." Snapping from her thoughts, Naomi quirked an eyebrow and stared at Neji. She scoffed and rolled her eyes, shifting all of her weight onto her other leg. The Hyuga's eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, right. I—" Before she knew what had hit her, Naomi found herself toppling over. Neji had somehow closed the distance and gotten beside her, kicking out the knee she'd locked to support herself. But, just as she was about to hit the ground, he'd pulled her back up and slammed her into a tree; the impact rattled her spine. All of this took place in under two seconds—maybe three—and Naomi's composure had seemed to abandon her. With wide, frantic eyes, she stared at the Hyuga, whose hand at her collarbone was applying relentless pressure to keep her pinned. Naomi squirmed, but kept her arms at her sides.

"I wasn't asking," he stated, his eyes burning into the girl's. He held her there a moment longer before dropping his hand and taking a step back. "Now," he began, continuing to back away. "Close your eyes." Naomi's defiance kept her from obeying, but she could feel this resilience slowly beginning to crumble away.

"No," she heard herself murmuring, voice not as strong as she'd like it to be. She saw Neji's jaw tighten—he'd run out of patience a long time ago. Actually, he wasn't sure he'd ever had any patience with Naomi.

"Why?" he growled, clearly frustrated. Naomi stepped away from the tree, throwing her arms up in agitation.

"Because!" was all she gave as a retort, tone exasperated. Huffing, she could only stare at him, not willing to admit her full explanation. _'Because I don't like the way you fight.'_ And she didn't; Neji was a frightening opponent. The idea that he could render her completely helpless was not something she liked to be reminded of. Unfortunately, she had this awful feeling that Neji knew that already—knew it very well, in fact. As he watched her, Naomi grew increasingly uneasy. Suddenly, he spoke, his tone suspiciously offhand.

"Wouldn't you like to know if you're capable of besting me?" Something stirred within Naomi then and her eyes lit up. He was playing her emotions, she knew that, but he had a valid point. Biting back her kneejerk response to agree immediately, Naomi took a minute to consider things. _'Alright… what are the chances of him hitting me? I mean… only one of eight people really took me down yesterday… Lee could make contact, but… Neji's not as fast as Lee, right? He can't be; Lee's crazy. And if it turns out that I _am_ better, I'd have something really solid to rub in his face. Yeah… solid and really foul-smelling.'_ Trying not to appear too eager now, Naomi sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Fine. If it'll get you off my back, then fine." A ghost of a smirk played across Neji's stoic expression. Sometimes people just made things too easy.

"Good. Close your—" Naomi shushed him, working on retying the ribbon around her eyes.

"This works better," she explained, finishing her knot with a firm tug. "Ready whenever," she drawled, behaving as though she were extremely bored. She heard Neji scoff, and that was the last sound she caught from him. He would take his time approaching—Naomi knew he would. Sensing the tension that had intruded into their forest, the birds fell silent. Nothing stirred. Naomi distracted herself by going through all of the different songbirds she knew, and what they sounded like. It wasn't a long list, but it did a fine job keeping her focus off of _trying_ to defend herself.

Naomi could feel her skin prickle and grow cold as time wore on. This whole silent mind-game deal was wearing on her. _'He knows that,'_ she told herself. _'That's the point. Not really fair, if you ask me. I mean, he—'_ When Naomi felt him coming, her breath hitched. He may not be as fast as Lee, but he was damn close. The wind seemed to pick up whenever Neji made a move, and Naomi could only conclude that it had to be the chakra he fought with disturbing the air. Their dance carried on, neither individuals becoming particularly winded as the minutes passed. _'Come on, Naomi—act offensively!'_ she told herself, and she tried, but Neji was moving too quickly; she had no opening. And, really, it was fine if she didn't hit him—just as long as he didn't hit her, either.

Out of nowhere, Neji leapt away from Naomi. She had hardly an instant to catch a breath before she was being forced to move again. The projectiles came in waves, each less maneuverable than the last. As the fourth collection sped her way, Naomi felt… different. She planted her feet, hands flowing through a sequence of seals that felt smooth and natural. At the last possible second, she threw her hands out to the sides and spread her fingers wide, gasping as a powerful force slammed into her chest. What Naomi couldn't see was that, in fact, it had been an _outward_ force—a potent expulsion of chakra which seemed to catch all of Neji's projectiles in a crackling net and render them harmless on the ground. A sizzling hum permeated the air as the surge faded away. _'Whoa,' _was all Naomi had time to think—Neji had returned to close-range assault.

She was more aggressive now. Here and there, with increasing frequency, Naomi was able to push in attacks of her own. None landed for either side—not yet—but the first one that did would surely act as a major deciding influence over the spar. Naomi could feel her heart beating and briefly wondered how long this fight had been going on for. She aimed for a swift finish, hopefully in her favor, but such a thing seemed farther and farther away with each second that went by. As adept as she seemed to be at it, fighting blind was mentally exhausting for Naomi. Maintaining concentration on _not_ concentrating had one's mind feeling quite scrambled after extended periods. _'Trust yourself,'_ she chanted. _'Trust what you know.' _

Something happened then—something Naomi could not have predicted. Earlier, when she'd managed to pluck an entire array of Neji's projectiles out of the air, they'd all landed in an unbroken line along the forest floor. This was something left entirely to chance, and, unfortunately, Neji did not miss when Naomi had placed a foot on one end of that line. Immediately he placed his foot down near the opposite end and released a single burst of chakra into the metal. The current traveled through the weapons and ensnared its victim in a powerful bind.

Behind her blindfold, Naomi gasped as her body became momentarily paralyzed. It had lasted less than a second, but it had provided Neji with the opening he had been waiting for. Just as Naomi's body regained control and she went to move away, he was there. His open palm finally made contact with the girl's side. The muscles in that area twitched with rigidity and Naomi felt a distinct drop in her performance. That was all it took for her to lose focus. Her fear of what came next had broken her concentration, and she began trying too hard to fight back. Neji landed a second and third hit in Naomi's ribs and thigh, causing her stamina to drop through the floor and a pain to creep down her left leg. She was struggling now, and Neji jumped on the opportunity.

Moving quickly, Neji began the motions of his Eight Trigrams Heavenly Spin technique, but did not execute it—that level of expenditure would not be necessary. The jounin whirled around and around, his outpour of chakra sending Naomi stumbling and unable to catch her weight on her injured leg. In the next instant, Neji had broken out of the spin and swept both of Naomi's feet out from beneath her. As she fell, she moved to catch herself, but Neji was there. His final hit to Naomi's sternum put her flat on her back. Air rushed from her lungs as he hovered over her, palm in place to hit her again if she tried to get up. _'No,'_ she thought to herself. _'He can't just… _win_. Damn.'_ For a blissful moment of rest, Naomi did not move, merely working on catching her breath.

There was a moment when she wasn't too opposed to just laying there and calling the spar; she was tired of being in the dark and wouldn't mind finishing out the afternoon with another nap. However, she heard the quietest of 'hmph's from Neji, and that tiny breath of arrogance had set her off all over again. With a heave, Naomi moved to kick out her legs and get to her feet, but another solid blow from Neji kept her down. She tried again, and again, and then again, moving for a new approach each time, but Neji had no problems subduing her. The brunette's frustration over the situation reached an astronomical level, and, in a last ditch effort, she simply reached out and latched onto the Hyuga's wrist. She wasn't sure where she'd been going with that idea, but apparently she didn't have to be.

Just as Neji moved to wrench his arm free, Naomi's other hand shot up and she felt it hovering hardly an inch away from the jounin's chest. There was no time for either to react. The rush of energy Naomi felt course through her extended arm caused her to gasp loudly. A crackling noise filled the air, and, suddenly, new energy was pouring into Naomi. This fresh power frightened her enough to make her release her hold on Neji—he jumped clear away from her, his skin feeling burnt all over. The only marks, however, were the irritated redness along the wrist Naomi had been holding and the identical irritation that marked the center of his chest. Jaw clenching, he glared at Naomi as she sat up, far too stunned to get to her feet. She appeared refreshed, and he suddenly felt quite exhausted. The practical voice in his head told him to just call the fight—he'd tried his hand, seen what she could do, and no clear winner was determined. But the louder voice, the one that fueled him to strive for perfection, yelled for him to do more.

The air around Naomi felt alive with energy. Her muscles no longer cramped where Neji had hit her, and she felt hardly winded. Confused, she went to untie her blindfold, assuming Neji had decided to end the match. But then she heard him speaking, and her blood ran cold.

"Eight Trigrams," he breathed. Feeling rushed, Naomi got to her feet. She had been about to called out a truce, but Neji was already moving. "_Sixty-Four Palms_." To Naomi's surprise and Neji's complete dissatisfaction, she'd been able to move quickly enough to deflect the beginnings of his assault against her chakra network. However, as his speed, power, and temper increased to unknown levels, Naomi felt more and more of his strikes hitting their mark. With the final blow, Naomi was sent barreling into the solid trunk of some ancient tree and then sprawling face first to the forest floor. She groaned, feeling a heaviness in her limbs that sent her anxiety through the canopy. She could still move, but barely.

When she heard Neji approaching with careful steps, Naomi could only manage to roll onto her back and pull the white ribbon down away from her eyes. She squinted in the late afternoon light, grateful she was presently lying in a shaded area and not directly beneath the sun's glaring rays. After so long in the dark, her eyes were quite sensitive. Neji stood looming over her and she watched as the veins around his eyes receded. The spar was over.

"We're done," he breathed. Though he tried to hide it, Naomi could hear his heavy breathing and see the sweat that glistened along his temples and neck. Dirt now decorated his once white shirt, and his hands quivered just slightly from exhaustion. She knew that she couldn't look much better. Panting, Naomi tried to push herself onto her elbows, but her stiff body refused to support her in that moment. Resolute, she simply remained as she was, not meeting Neji's eyes. After a moment, she felt his eyes lift away and she glanced over to see him staring contemplatively into the forest.

"So…" she murmured, voice raspy. "Satisfied?" His lack of a response was a clear answer: no. No he was not at all satisfied. If she performed at this level while blind, and without really being able to plan her attacks too far into the future, what would she be like if she actually knew what she was doing? This thought and others like it had Neji looking deeply concentrated. Though he'd never admit it, that fight had been… interesting; perhaps even enjoyable, in a way. It wasn't often he was caught off-guard in battle. Quietly, he sighed and closed his eyes.

"It's time to go," he stated, his voice just as level as always. Naomi hummed in uncertainty; she probably couldn't stand just then, let alone set off on the long trek back across Konoha to the Hyuga compound.

"Yeah…" she drawled, voice heavy with hesitation. "How much trouble would I be in if I _wasn't_ back for sunset? Or… midnight, or… sunrise." Honestly, the idea of just staying as she was and sleeping like a corpse through the night sounded heavenly. Neji looked down at her and quirked his brow.

"More trouble than I'm willing to deal with right now. Get up." Sluggishly, Naomi tried to sit up, but only managed to prop onto her elbows before she had to stop.

"Nah… I'm down with camping out tonight." Sighing quite the irritated sigh, Neji took a step closer.

"No—I don't think so. We're leaving." Naomi stared in wonderment as Neji—begrudgingly—extended a hand down to her. Her eyes watched his hand like one might watch a stray dog; she wasn't sure if she could pet it without getting bitten. The look on Neji's face told her this offer was only available for a limited time, and so, carefully, she took his hand. His skin was still abnormally hot to the touch—a result of Naomi's last display—and the contrast against her chilled fingers was abrasive. With Neji's support pulling her up, Naomi began the painstaking process of willing her body into an upright position. Halfway there, however, an impulse flew into her head so quickly she had no time to kick it back down.

With a final strain of effort, Naomi pulled back with all of her might and swept one of her legs beneath the Hyuga. Completely unawares, Neji could only go with the fall, landing on his back in front of Naomi. He lifted his head to stare at her, the look in his eyes uncharacteristically incredulous and not as infuriated as Naomi had expected. The girl could only smirk and shrug innocently as she let gravity pull her back into a lying position. Too stunned, Neji clamped his mouth shut and threw his hand over his face, his head and shoulders hitting the ground with a soft thud.

Naomi would be eternally convinced that she had emerged victorious that day.


	12. Chapter 12

Twelve: Intense, like Camping

Naomi knew she was asleep. She'd gone to bed after Neji finally managed to drag her back to the compound and had been laying awake wondering why she was bothered by something about the spar. Maybe it wasn't even the spar—maybe just life itself was troubling her. But, for whatever reason, when she began to dream that night she was back in those woods again, facing off with the Hyuga. Only, this time, she wasn't blindfolded. The forest, however, was incredibly dark, and she could only make out the silhouettes of monstrous trees and Neji racing toward her. She fought him relentlessly, recognizing each step as one that had occurred in reality. This was the fight set on replay.

The part when Neji leapt away, the projectiles he threw momentarily blocked him from Naomi's view. She dodged them, but when she looked back, it wasn't Neji she was facing. Her opponent had become a faceless shadow, continuing to throw the weapons her way. Just as before, Naomi felt her hands moving through seals she could not rightly name, and then she reached her arms out to the side. She could see it this time, the net of energy that entangled the oncoming wave of projectiles. In the dream, it was enhanced, its intricate web shimmering in the darkness. The snaking tendrils moved about wildly, their shine growing brighter and brighter until Naomi was blinded by white light. Her body seemed to catch fire on the outside, but freeze at her core. A thunderous hiss filled her ears, and then, all at once, everything disappeared. Everything.

Naomi was left in a dark world. She could see herself clearly, but not the ground she stood on. She called out, but no sound left her. The dream kept her feeling at ease, despite her disturbing surroundings, and so she simply began to walk. In the distance, she saw something coming. Just as she could see herself, this figure was clear against the darkness. Suddenly, there was a little girl standing before Naomi, her large, excited brown eyes full of wonder and a fuchsia flower tucked neatly behind her ear. Slowly, the child brought her hands up and stretched them wide apart. Her young voice cut through the air, echoing all around

"_Buzzzzzzzzzzzzz!_" And just before Naomi jolted awake, she watched as the little girl's flower drifted gently to the ground, and then, one by one, as each of its petals burned away.

Breathing heavily, sweat dampening her cheeks, Naomi sat up in her bed. It was still dark outside. Her tired eyes stared into the shadows of her bedroom, images from the dream already beginning to fade away. Another minute passed, and it was almost as if it had never really happened. It was then Naomi realized she'd thrown her sheets and comforter into a heap on the floor. _'But I'm cold,'_ she complained silently, not willing to retrieve them.

Exhaling quietly, the brunette lowered herself back onto the mattress, body still stiff and aching from Neji's final attack on her the day before. She severely hoped Guy didn't have anything scheduled anytime soon. In an effort to fall back to sleep, Naomi let her mind sift through memories of the previous day. It had begun beautifully and ended with far less grace. But… Naomi seemed to recall Neji saying something to her as he left her staggering at her bedroom door. What had he said?

"Oh yeah," Naomi murmured, already close to sleep once again. _'He said "goodnight".'_

vVvVv

Naomi awoke later that morning to a frustrated knocking on the bedroom door. It was much later than she'd expected, apparently, because the sun was already high in the sky when the tired girl peered out her window. She groaned, trying her best to stretch the pain out of all of her aching muscles. _'Man… he really did a number.'_ As the knocking continued, Naomi huffed and pulled a pillow over her head—her blankets were still in a crumpled pile beside her bed. _'Go away,'_ she urged. _'I'm asleep.'_ Naomi would be in no shape to participate in any crazy plans Guy might have scheduled for the team that day. It would be better for everyone if she stayed sleeping. All day. When the door was yanked open and light poured into the room, Naomi peeked out from beneath her extraordinarily soft pillow.

"No," she groaned, pressing the cloth tighter to her face. "Noooo… I can't handle _you_ right now… can't you see I'm sleeping?" Smothered beneath her cushion, Naomi could not hear the loud scoff from the doorway, but imagined it with decent accuracy. And, judging by the queasiness in her stomach, Naomi knew he was approaching her bed. _'No…'_ she objected, expression forlorn. _'He's coming… for my pillow.'_ Instinctively, Naomi strengthened her hold on that lovely, white cloud, prepared to fight Neji to the death to keep it. However, being as stiff as she was, her hold was more like a gentle hug than a desperate vice. He easily tore the pillow away from her face.

"Go _away_," she whined, rolling over so her back was to him. The hairs on the back of Naomi's neck stood on end, and she'd been about to call out some sort of empty threat, but it was too late—Neji had shoved her easily over the edge of the mattress. Naomi hit the smooth, hardwood floor with a hard thud. Her bones rattled and she clenched her jaw. As she moved to sit up, she felt something at her legs and became overjoyed to find her abandoned blankets bundled beside her. _'Hah!'_ She worked quickly, burrowing herself into the nest of cloth until _she_ couldn't even figure out how to get out.

She'd made a peaceful cocoon, and was dead set on never emerging. Not even if she sprouted wings.

Naomi could just make out the muffled sound of Neji's voice, but pushed it away. She'd deal with any ramifications later—now, she would sleep. If only she could be so lucky. One instant she had been on the verge of blissful unconsciousness, and in the next instant she felt her body rolling and tumbling through her mess of sheets. Startled, she cried out as she once again slammed into the floor; she heard her blankets being tossed to the other side of the room. _'But… but… my cocoon…'_

"What is your _problem?_ Why can't you—"

"Oh, good," the Hyuga interjected coolly. "You're awake."

"Actually, no, I'm—"

"I suggest you get dressed and pack a bag." Confused, Naomi could only blink up at Neji, brow furrowed as she peered at his face. He didn't look nearly as exhausted as she felt—that wasn't fair.

"…annoying face," she murmured quietly. When she felt Neji's eyes glaring at her questioningly, Naomi's mind caught up with her words and her cheeks flushed. "Sorry," she stammered. "Thought-bubble malfunction." Neji brushed it off indifferently, making his way for the door.

"Pack a bag," he repeated. "We have survival practice starting this evening until tomorrow afternoon." As he began to close the door, Naomi not really hearing what he'd just explained, the girl—oh so quietly—began to crawl back onto her mattress. Neji's sharp voice, however, had her tripping back onto the floor. "And don't you _dare_ get back into that bed."

vVvVv

The walk to the village gates was stiff and arduous. Naomi struggled to keep up with Neji's purposeful steps, but only fell farther and farther behind. The pack she carried wasn't particularly heavy—just some fresh water, light snacks, bandages, a sweater, and a miniscule sleeping bag—but each step seemed to add half a ton to her load. But she would not complain, she'd told herself. She would not give Neji that satisfaction… or rather, that ammunition.

Naomi caught up to the Hyuga just as he finished greeting the others waiting at the gate. She dragged herself to the group and forced a smile, waving to them all and saying how great it was to be back out and about training with them. This excited Guy greatly, and Naomi took his seven minute ramble on her example of youth as a time to rest her throbbing muscles and catch her breath.

"And we are ready to begin!" Naomi heard Guy exclaim. He removed a short rope from his vest and Naomi's face paled, but when the team was simply asked to each place a hand on it she relaxed. Holding one end of the cord, Guy continued. "Now, team, the only way to truly give your youth the opportunity it demands to express its brilliance, is for you all to close your eyes—you must not see where we are going!" Naomi swallowed and inwardly groaned. Great. Fabulous. So as not to be in anyone's way, Naomi held on tightly to the opposite end of the rope, reluctantly closing her eyes. And then they were moving.

Neji was in place in front of Naomi, Tenten after him, and Lee was walking confidently behind Guy, constantly declaring his excitement over this ingenious method of travel. Behind her eyelids, Naomi thought very resentful things toward the entire situation. _'I feel like a pull-along toy.' _Her body was exhausted, and she was in no mood to go traipsing around in a strange forest where Crazy Treemen lay in wait to pounce on their next victim.

Time seemed to drag on for hours, when, in reality, it had only been hours. Naomi had begun to realize, however, that forcing her body to move and work its rigid muscles was actually helping to relieve the tension in her limbs. Tired as she was, the walk became increasingly less difficult, despite having to push through foliage and not trip over tree roots. Naomi was so focused on not falling over, that she didn't notice that the line of people in front of her had all stopped moving. She gasped with her next step, reflexes kicking in just in time to keep her from crashing into Neji—barely. _'…I can smell him,'_ she thought, deciding the scent wasn't good or bad, it just… was. Recomposing herself after her near-collision, Naomi stepped back and waited for Guys instructions.

"Ah, yes, excellent display of youthful grace, team! Once I am gone, you must wait five minutes before opening your eyes. Now, for your assignment, you will remain here throughout the night, and then make your own way back into the village before sundown in three days." Naomi couldn't imagine why a six hour trek might take three days, but she didn't ask as much. "Be warned, I have lead you down a brilliantly misleading path with many direction changes that even I, myself, cannot retrace! Go forth—strive off of each other's youth until we meet again!" And then it was quiet. Much too quiet. _'He's… not staying? What if something happens to us?'_ This assignment is not one Naomi had been quite enlightened on before setting off. She wasn't happy. Once five minutes was up, she heard Tenten speak and assumed it was okay to open her eyes.

"Okay, guys," she began, in a voice that told Naomi she'd been through this exercise many, _many_ times before. "Let's find a nice place to settle down, and we'll go from there."

"I shall find us the most excellent sight to make camp!"

"There's a small clearing fifty yards east," came Neji's cool observation, efficiently stealing Lee's thunder. Tenten shrugged.

"Alright, cool. Thanks, Neji. Let's go." And then they were moving again, Naomi's hopes becoming increasingly brighter as she remember Neji's crazy-eyes. _'He must have been watching where we were going the whole time—getting back will be a piece of cake! Finally, he's good for something.'_ And at that same time, Neji was wishing he didn't always maintain such high standards for himself, and thinking about how much time could have been saved the next day if he'd only allowed himself to use his Byakugan during the trek into the woods. Oh well.

The sun was low in the sky as the troupe settled into the clearing. Upon Tenten's suggestion, they pooled together their food and water and took inventory of what they had available in those categories. The kunoichi had brought along some high-carb, low-fat, ultra-ninja granola bars, a block of neatly wrapped cheese, plenty of elk jerky, protein powder, and a canteen of purified water. Neji provided a box of whole-grain crackers, a container of vegetable spread and another of peanut butter, a package of white rice, and a liter of drinking water. Lee had somehow managed to trudge along with an airtight package of sausages, a jar of honey, bean salad, two energy drinks, protein shake mix, a small bottle of milk, a bag of fresh fruit, a gallon of filtered water, and… a fresh salmon. When Naomi presented her stock, her cheeks flushed and she apologized quietly. She had an already opened bag of trail mix, a banana, and a small canteen of tap water.

"I didn't know what we were packing for," she murmured defensively, shooting a searing glance in Neji's direction. He scoffed quietly.

"A great ninja must be prepared for anything!" Lee exclaimed. Naomi slouched down even more. Tenten laughed.

"Don't worry about it—I'm sure we'll survive," she explained. Lee's provisions alone could keep them going for days. "So! Who wants to get the firewood?" Instantly—of course—Lee shot to his feet.

"I shall bring us enough wood for three fires! And," he continued, already starting off into the trees. "I shall carry it all back without using my hands!" Tenten was about to tell him there would be no need for such an extravagant load, but Lee was already out of earshot.

"Um," Naomi stammered unsurely, glancing around. "What should I do, Tenten?" Before the kunoichi could answer, Neji interjected.

"Sit and eat your trail mix."

Naomi bristled, but was still too embarrassed about the food she'd packed to retaliate with anything particularly witty. Satisfied that Naomi had remained silent, Neji got to his feet and told Tenten he'd check the perimeter.

"Good thinking. Naomi and I—" Naomi did not miss Tenten pointedly including her in the conversation. "—will make a fire pit." Once the Hyuga was gone, Naomi sighed with relief and smiled at Tenten.

"Thanks for that—he really is just full of himself, isn't he?" Tenten shrugged.

"Yeah, I guess." A comfortable silence fell over their campsite as the two girls began rummaging around the surrounding foliage looking for sizeable stones that would act as the ring of the fire pit. As they began to lay down rocks of varying sizes in a small circle, clearing away leaves and pine needles as they went, Naomi decided now would be an appropriate time for small talk. She began with the first thing of relevance that came into her head.

"How do you stand it?" she asked with complete innocence.

"Stand what? Neji? We've been on the same team for years. It's—"

"No, no, I mean how do you stand dating him?" The stone Tenten had just picked up slipped out of her hands and she became frantic trying to hold it firmly.

"What? You think that—Neji and I? What? No, no way. We don't… just no." She was adamant in her denial, but Naomi could see the way her cheeks flushed oh so lightly, and how her panicked brown eyes would not meet Naomi's.

"But didn't I see you two just the other day? On your date in the teashop, remember?" Tenten's laughter sounded a bit too boisterous.

"A _date?_ Oh, God—no!"

"So you two aren't—"

"No, of course not, we're _teammates_, not soulmates," Tenten assured, shaking her head with a wild grin. Suddenly, however, her expression changed to one of severe curiosity. "Um… why do you ask? Did he say something?" Naomi shook her head, idly repositioning some of the stones.

"No, nothing like that. I only thought… just because of how you, y'know… are. Sorry." Relief, and some other emotion Naomi could not place, flooded across Tenten's eyes.

"Were you checking to see if he was single because _you_ want to date him?" the kunoichi jibed playfully—and she almost hid the true concern from her voice, Naomi thought. Almost.

"Me? Date… _him? _Oh, please. Not in _anyone's_ even wildest dreams. Yuck." For emphasis, Naomi made a gagging sound and both girls broke into sincere laughter. Their conversation ended then, because Lee had suddenly returned, a neatly stacked collection of dead wood balanced precariously on his head. Announcing his triumph, he set his findings down and immediately began to construct a lovely fire. Neji returned to the camp just as the sun slipped out of the sky.

For supper, they each roasted one of Lee's sausages—Lee himself ate three—and decided that letting his fish go to waste would be a shame, so they speared and roasted that, too. Neji's bread made for a nice seasoning when crumbled and mixed with Lee's honey; it was the most delicious salmon Naomi could ever remember eating.

When the time came to discuss sleeping situations—more specifically, how they would take turns staying awake while the others slept—Tenten basically had to clamp a hand over Lee's mouth before he could volunteer to do all of the shifts by himself. He'd begun by exclaiming "I can go one week without sleeping!" and Tenten had not let him utter another word. Eventually it was decided that a simple rotation would be best—Tenten and Naomi, Naomi and Lee, Lee and Neji, and then Neji and Tenten. Each pair should be on duty for approximately two hours, which meant they'd each spend four hours awake and four hours asleep that night. Naomi couldn't bring herself to disagree with that system, so she only nodded her head. _'Four hours…'_ That was not "sleeping", that was called "napping". She was, however, eternally grateful that she had not been given a shift with Neji. _'Tenten gave herself one,' _Naomi couldn't help but point out to herself.

The night passed without incident. It had been, however, a bit cooler than Naomi had anticipated and she'd needed to curl into her jacket with her sleeping bag over her legs. Her shift with Tenten had been comfortably silent, and when it was time to wake Lee, he was vigilant enough for twelve people. Naomi was thankful for this, because she really wasn't sure what she was supposed to be watching for. _'You'll know it if you see it,'_ she kept telling yourself. _'Just hope you're not the one who sees it first.'_

vVvVv

"Are you absolutely positive we're headed east?"

"Yes! My sense of direction is undeniable!"

"Okay… are you absolutely sure that we're _west_ of Konoha?"

"Tenten! Your doubt only reassures me that I must trust my youthful instincts!"

"We need to find a road."

"Well, maybe if somebody had put his crazy-eyes to use on the way here…"

"It might surprise you to learn that _I _am not the most useless person on this trip."

"Alright guys, take it easy. Let's just keep going."

And then… blissful, beautiful silence. Birds sang in the trees that stretched far into the sky, tiny chipmunks scampered around in the undergrowth, and the day was warm. The group had had an early morning. After striking the camp, they'd settled for a direction and had since been walking well into the afternoon. At the beginning, no one was too sure about which way to go, but at one point Lee claimed to recognize the area and took the lead; no one objected. Naomi was surprisingly awake for only sleeping four hours, and she was disturbingly hungry after a meager breakfast of her one banana, but she was overall optimistic about the assignment. She felt today would be a good day, if only she could stop despising Neji for everything he said… ever.

Eventually, after Naomi's stomach had rumbled with embarrassing forte, lunch time had been declared. The team settled beside a small brook that dribbled through the immense forest and shared in a small meal of cheese and crackers. Lee also offered some of his bean salad, of which everybody took a spoonful or two. Taking a swig from one of Lee's energy drinks and munching lazily on a piece of jerky, Tenten leaned back and sighed.

"This 'survival training' isn't nearly as awful as the last one," she observed.

"Does Guy have you do these exercises often?"

"Yeah. Last time was probably… oh, maybe a week before you showed up. We had to walk through pouring rain for two days."

"I found the rain to be invigorating and it inspired me to work twice as hard!" Naomi smiled and shook her head incredulously at Lee. Did anything ever get him down? No, really, Naomi wanted to see. The chitchatting continued idly for a short time, during which Neji had decided to remain separated from conversation. Naomi contributed here and there, but truly just enjoyed listening and seeing her friends enjoying themselves in a setting that wasn't run by a regimen of some kind. The late afternoon sun broke through the thick canopy in places, adding an unearthly glow to the area. And where rays touched the token 'babbling' brook, the water shimmered beautifully and Naomi could have sworn the water was heavy with gold. Transfixed by this trick of the light, she watched closely as Tenten cupped some of the cool water into her hands and splashed it against her face. And then, Naomi felt her stomach clench.

As if time had slowed to a crawl, Naomi felt her body moving too slowly while her mind raced at high speeds. She saw Lee still laughing quietly about something Tenten had said moments ago, and Neji sitting with his arms folded against a tree. And she saw Tenten, bringing another splash of water up to her face. The scene was picturesque, but something wasn't fitting—something wasn't right. Urgency settled over Naomi in that moment and she moved without truly knowing the reason why. Neji, being ever perceptive, picked up on the strangeness in the air half an instant after Naomi had. He was on his feet almost immediately, but Naomi had reacted first and moved faster.

The panicked girl barreled into Tenten, knocking them both into the chilled waters of the brook. Sputtering, the kunoichi shoved Naomi away and got to her feet, wiping the cool liquid from her eyes.

"Damn it, Naomi! What were you—" And then she saw. Breathing deeply, heart racing, Naomi pushed herself up onto her hands and knees as pain flared across her body. She stared down into the water and watched as the once golden stream ran red. And when she looked and saw something sharp and silver, hardly visible, poking out just beneath her right shoulder, she couldn't help but scream.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: **I meant to upload this before the holiday, but I was so rushed in getting out of the house that I totally forgot. Oh well. Better late than never? I also wanted to say that I'm really enjoying the comments you all are leaving me. Even the short ones are excellent motivators ;) Enjoy!

Thirteen: Intense, like Camping II

Naomi had been hit three times: once through her shoulder, once deep into her thigh, and the last had pierced through the soft muscle of her left calf. The team's reaction was immediate. All three shinobi had created a triangle of defense around Naomi, who was now doing her best not to scream anymore or make whimpering sounds of any kind. The pain was severe, sickeningly so, but it was the fear over seeing giant needles sticking out of her body that affected her most. She wasn't bleeding too badly—not yet. As long as the senbon weren't jostled or pulled out, blood loss wasn't a great risk. Biting back a groan, Naomi tensed her jaw and sat huddled on the brook's small bank, eyes scanning what she could see of the trees. When she saw Team Guy standing protectively around her, she was momentarily touched, but then realized that this was simply what they were trained to do.

"Neji, do you see anything?" Tenten shot under her breath, unrolling one of her smaller weapon scrolls. The Hyuga was silent as he scanned the forest with his Byakugan—why hadn't he detected something sooner? The forest was still. From her place on the ground, Naomi was the first to feel the chilled air that began to cover the earth. When she looked more closely, she noticed a thin mist had begun to settle around the team.

"Guys…" she whispered. But no one had the time to listen to her. "Guys," she tried again, voice more urgent as the mist thickened around their feet. But all of their eyes were trained into the trees. Her injuries throbbed and Naomi winced, trying once more to get someone's attention. "Guys, _look_." And just as everyone realized what the problem was, the mist billowed into the clearing and swirled around them. It was so dense that Tenten could hardly make out Lee's green suit only four feet to one side, and Neji's white shirt... she didn't even try to find that in the fog. The Byakugan was their one chance at visibility. As Naomi watched in silence, she couldn't help but notice how Tenten kept throwing glances back at her. _'To make sure I'm alright,'_ Naomi realized.

"Neji, is this genjutsu?"

"I—"

"No," Naomi suddenly interrupted. "The mist is real." No one questioned her outright, but everyone was wondering how she could say that with such conviction. Naomi didn't want to tell them that she could feel how her skin reacted to the miniscule water droplets—about the tingling she felt as they settled against her body. The way the air sizzled just inches away from her. She just knew that something within her was physically responding to the hostile mist that filled the area.

"She's right," came Neji's voice, tone flat. He didn't like agreeing with Naomi. "Whoever's producing it is able to completely conceal themselves behind it." Translation: he couldn't see anything, either. An eerie stillness had settled over the forest with the arrival of the fog. It muffled everything, even the voices of the people Naomi sat three feet away from. Lee had never been so quiet, she mused in an attempt to keep calm. But then, to her dismay, fresh adrenaline began to seep into her bloodstream, signaling the presence of a danger that she couldn't see. One that no one could see.

Utterly soundless, the fog began to thicken in concentrated areas around Tenten. Her arms, her waist, her throat… Tendrils began to coil around Lee's legs, Neji's chest. Naomi, for now, somehow remained unaffected. Precious seconds ticked by, and Neji's Byakugan suddenly let him see the threat. Chakra, in quantities that were nearly undetectable, began to flow through the mist where it had thickened around the team's bodies. He saw it move like snakes through the air, becoming more powerful as time passed.

"Move," he suddenly called out. "_Now._" Immediately, both he and Lee leapt away, dissipating the chakra as they passed through it. Tenten, however, had not been quick enough. The chakra-induced mist that coiled around the kunoichi's body had suddenly surged with power, constricting her airway and restraining her arms. Naomi could hear the air that fled from her friend's lungs under the immense pressure and her mind raced for ways to help. Pushing to her feet, pain flaring up her leg, Naomi tried to pull Tenten away from whatever had a hold on her. But the mist simply came along for the ride, staying with Tenten even as she fell to the ground struggling for air.

"Lee—Neji—someone help Tenten!" she called into the blinding fog. She heard their voices, but they sounded so far away… And then, realization hit her, and so did a wave of nausea. _'The mist… it doesn't just conceal the person creating it…' _It concealed everyone. The others couldn't find her. "Hold on, Tenten," she pleaded, watching as color drained from the kunoichi's face and her eyes struggled to stay open. In her desperation, Naomi did the only thing she could think to do: she closed her eyes. _'Come on,'_ she screamed in her head. _'Do something! Come on!'_ But nothing was happening—Naomi's buried skills were not offering anything for the current situation. _'There must be something I know how to do!'_ Frustrated, her friend slowly drifting away in front of her, Naomi called out and fell onto Tenten. She embraced the kunoichi and fought back angry tears, her eyes now screwed shut against pain, fear, and distress.

At first Naomi couldn't feel how the air around her seemed to sputter with energy. Goosebumps raced along her skin, causing the small hairs to stand on end. The fog suddenly felt much too warm—a stark contrast against the chill it had provided only moments before. And then, suddenly, the mist surrounding Naomi and Tenten hissed and fizzled away, leaving that small area free from the white barricade. Naomi felt Tenten's chest heave beneath her and she sat back, watching as the kunoichi gasped and wheezed for air. Dark bruises already lined her throat, and she was still struggling to breathe steadily through her damaged airway. But she was breathing, and that's all Naomi cared about, except… why? What had Naomi done to force the fog away? The girl's teary eyes widened and frantically peered into the surrounding mist.

"Neji!" she screamed, praying he could hear her beneath the muffling blanket. "Your chakra! It will disperse the mist!" Silence, broken only by Tenten's painful sputtering, followed. Naomi waited, positioned vigilantly at Tenten's side while the kunoichi struggled to recover. When a small breeze passed through, Naomi became hopeful—she recognized it, not as a breeze, but as Neji's outbursts of energy. Only several yards away from the girls, Neji had heard Naomi's cry and quickly fallen into his Heavenly Spin. Almost immediately, the fog had recoiled, and continued to recede until the Hyuga could make out the silhouettes of his teammates. He continued expelling more and more of his chakra into the mist and, eventually, when enough had been displaced, it lifted away from the forest, disappearing like a bad dream.

"Tenten!" both Neji and Lee called in unison. Lee rushed to the kunoichi's side while Neji carefully scanned the area for their adversaries. He cursed audibly—they had fled, whoever they were. Lee's voice called him over to their fallen comrade.

"Neji! Tenten will require further medical assistance—her internal damage is severe." With his Byakugan, Neji could see the damage quite clearly: broken ribs and wrists, internal bleeding, and an almost unusable trachea. Then his eyes found Naomi—she was in much better shape, but probably would be no good for speedy travel. Damn it.

"Lee," Neji began, voice full of authority. "You know the way. Get her back to Konoha." With a resounding "yes" from Lee, Tenten was scooped carefully from the ground and carried away into the trees. Naomi watched them go, silently wishing them a swift trek back to the village. Neji's quiet sigh caught her attention, and she looked up at the jounin. His eyes were closed and his face was impassable, but Naomi knew that he, too, was deeply concerned for Tenten.

"She'll be okay… right?" Naomi asked, voice small.

"If they make it back before tonight, then yes."

"Why didn't you take her?"

"Because," Neji began, opening his eyes to stare out into the forest. "Lee is faster." And if the mist came back, Naomi probably wouldn't survive it without his help. He needed to stay as her second pair of eyes, as it were. But Neji would never say this out loud. Naomi nodded, leaning back on her hands. As the adrenaline started to leave her body, a dull throbbing began where she had been hit—she'd forgotten about the garish needles that were currently sticking out of her bruising flesh. She hissed through her teeth as she tenderly fingered the gleaming tip coming out from under her right shoulder, and then Neji also remembered the senbon. He crouched beside Naomi and re-activated his Byakugan. None of the needles had pierced any arteries, her lung, or her bone. They'd basically just sunken into solid meat.

"We can take them out," he concluded. Naomi could only stare and shake her head, sidling away from the Hyuga.

"How about we don't take them out, and save that treat for the nurses back in Konoha?" Scoffing, Neji stood and folded his arms.

"Alright, fine. If you can walk, we'll head there now." The challenge in his voice had Naomi feeling indignant, and so, using her right leg only, she pushed herself onto her feet.

"See? No problem." Neji quirked a brow and tilted his head in their designated direction.

"Go ahead." Straightening up, Naomi set her jaw and took a step. As soon as she placed any weight on her left leg, however, her muscles tried to contract around the senbon and the ensuing pain had Naomi crying out. She crumpled to the ground and dry-heaved, forcing tears away. The needles going in had hurt far less than keeping them there. Once again, Neji crouched down beside Naomi. "Not up for the walk, I gather." Naomi glared daggers at him, face flushed.

"Well," she snapped. "Then you'll just have to go back by yourself and tell them where I am." This was obviously the only solution. Huffing, Naomi scooted over to the base of a tree and sat there stubbornly. "I'll wait right here." Releasing another sigh, Neji approached and knelt in front of her, staring hard into her cloudy eyes.

"I can't leave you."

"Why not?" Naomi countered immediately.

"Because it would be frowned upon." Bristling, Naomi fell silent. When Neji reached a hand toward her leg, however, she was yelling.

"Whoa! Hey! No way—don't you _dare_ touch me." With limited movement, Naomi did her best to pull her leg up and away from Neji. The look in his eyes set Naomi's heart pounding in overdrive and her body went rigid. It was a look that said "Don't think I wouldn't enjoy immobilizing you." She knew that he saw her reluctance as weakness, but, in that moment, she didn't care. _'Judge all you want.'_ "You are not ripping these things out of me."

"This is the best solution."

"I don't care."

"Do you want an infection?"

"Yup."

"That'll hurt much worse."

"I'll ask for morphine."

"You're assuming you'll be back in the village before the bacteria set to work."

"I…" Naomi was momentarily out of snappy replies. "So what?" Neji quirked his eyebrow, tone becoming very formal.

"The senbon are coming out. Whether or not you are paralyzed during their removal does not make the least bit of difference to me." Naomi's determination fled from her eyes and blood drained from her face, making her feel a touch lightheaded.

"If I can't move… will it still hurt?" she asked meekly.

"Yes." Forehead creased with worry, Naomi briefly searched Neji's unreadable expression and then turned her face away. Her voice was shaky.

"Please don't paralyze me," she murmured. A small part of Neji was dissatisfied with this, but he agreed not to immobilize her if Naomi would agree to cooperate. Eventually, she gave a slight nod and Neji moved from in front of her to beside her. He reached toward her leg and she immediately jerked it away, ignoring the pain this caused.

"Oh, relax," he scoffed. "I'm not doing anything yet." Eyes wide, Naomi did her best not to move as Neji slowly extended her leg, pressing a hand down on her knee so she could no longer pull it away. He felt her shaking and inwardly rolled his eyes. This was not the behavior of the hardened shinobi her skill level implied Naomi to be, he thought. Another voice told him that, if she were accustomed to pain, she probably didn't remember how to handle it. Lovely.

"W-Wait! Wait! Wait, wait, wait," she stammered frantically as Neji's free hand moved toward the senbon that had neatly pierced her calf through both sides. He hesitated and looked at her, waiting impatiently. "Um… um… wait, I… just…"

"This isn't going to get better with time," Neji pointed out sharply.

"No, I know… just… I… oh man." Breathing shallowly, Naomi turned her head completely to one side and screwed her eyes shut, teeth clenched as she waited. The downward pressure against her knee increased as Neji held her leg down. If she jerked away while he was pulling, she could do far more damage that what had already been done. Finding a firm grip on one exposed end of the silver needle, Neji inhaled slowly and began to pull.

Almost immediately, however, he jerked his hand away. The movement startled Naomi, who opened her eyes to see an irritated Neji examining his palm.

"What?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"It shocked me," he stated, clearly agitated.

"Oh… sorry… Maybe if I don't close my eyes…" Naomi turned away again, fixating on some random point in the distance. After touching the needle and deciding it was no longer charged, Neji resumed his grip and pulled. And, let's just say, it was a good thing his other hand was keeping Naomi's leg down. The girl cried out, clenching her teeth to suppress the noise, and pressed her back into the tree behind her. There was a sickening, fleshy noise and then, just as it had started, the pain lessened to a dull throb. Releasing her held breath, Naomi looked down at her calf.

The bloodied senbon now lay harmless on the ground and two, small puncture wounds bled slowly on either side of Naomi's shin.

"I'm bleeding," was all she managed to say, voice weak from her shouts of pain.

"It'll stop," was all the reassurance Neji offered before switching hands on Naomi's knee and reaching down for the senbon in her thigh. This skin around this wound was agitated. With an experimental pull, which caused Naomi to inhale sharply, Neji realized that the girl's muscles had begun to swell around the foreign object, trapping it in a fleshy vice. If Neji pulled too quickly, he would tear the muscles. Great, he thought to himself. She's not going to be able to contain herself. "You need to relax your leg," Neji instructed. Naomi scoffed, her rapid breathing audible as she tried to maintain a steady voice.

"Yeah, right. Let me stab you and see if _you_ can just relax." Well, he was trying to be helpful, but if she wouldn't listen then… he didn't care.

"Fine," he replied coolly, already beginning to gradually work the needle from Naomi's thigh. She squirmed and bit back a stream of profanities, wishing more than anything that Neji would just. Hurry. Up. Bit by bit, the senbon eventually came free. The last wave of pain it sent her caused Naomi to clutch her churning stomach and fight off an intense wave of nausea.

"Damn," she finally breathed, voice tight. "Thanks for taking your time." The intended sarcasm did not quite reach her tone, but she was in no mood to try and remedy it.

"The last one needs to come out through your back," Neji commented matter-of-factly. Groaning, Naomi seriously considered leaving it in as a souvenir, but then remembered Neji only agreed not to paralyze her as long as she complied, so she begrudgingly scooted away from the tree. The jounin now knelt behind her and she felt him press a palm against her right shoulder blade.

"Naomi." The sound of Neji calling her by name immediately had her attention, a cold certainty in his voice. "This senbon missed an artery and your lung, but just barely. It's vital that you _do not_ move while I'm removing it. Do you understand?" Swallowing a hard lump in her throat, Naomi could only nod. To cut back on the risk of startling her and causing her to jerk away, Neji told Naomi to hold her breath. "When I say 'one'," he instructed. "You exhale and I'll take it out." As the countdown began, Naomi took in a breath and found herself transfixed on the sharp point protruding from her torso. Neji's palm against her back was comforting, whether he realized it or not, and she relaxed as much as she could. When the time came to exhale, the girl watched with morbid curiosity as the end of the senbon disappeared into her body. By the time she needed to take in another breath, the deed was done.

"That one didn't hurt as badly as the others," Naomi commented.

"Less muscle tissue to fight against," Neji explained indifferently. He paused before saying "It's also bleeding the most." Naomi groaned but then perked up, looking around for her small traveling pack.

"I have bandaids!" she announced excitedly. Neji looked to Naomi's belongings and went over to dig out the medical supplies. When he found them—just some gauze, lotion, and tape—he hummed quietly.

"Hn. Probably the one—"

"—good idea I've had. I know." Naomi grinned, congratulating herself on a job well done. Then she heard Neji sigh in quiet exasperation and she craned her neck to give him a look. "What?" He shook his head.

"Nothing." He just had a bad feeling that they were about to encounter another problem. "Hold still." Completely unbothered, Neji knelt behind Naomi once again and began to pull her shirt up along her back. Naomi immediately moved away, staring at the Hyuga like he had grown another head.

"Ex_cuse_ me? What are you—"

"You're bleeding," he pointed out. "How do you propose we fix that?" Naomi clamped her mouth shut, cheeks burning with embarrassment and indignation.

"Well, I—you can't just—ugh!" Naomi threw her hands up and then pinched the bridge of her nose. "Alright, _fine_," she snapped, sighing in agitation. "But _I'll_ take care of the front." This time Neji really did visibly roll his eyes. Honestly, what did Naomi _think_ he'd been trying to do? Let's be logical here. While Neji resumed working on the puncture wound, Naomi kept busy by thanking all the gods of the world that she had not worn a kimono on this trip. Talk about worst-case scenario. _'He's quite gentle now that he isn't tearing spikes out of my body,' _she observed. Neji worked quickly, passing the supplies to Naomi's hands once he'd finished.

"Wait here. I need to get firewood." Naomi waved him off, setting to work on the front exit wound once he was out of sight. His words, however, slowly began to sink in, and Naomi felt queasy all over again. Apparently, she would be spending another night out in the forest, only this time there would be no one else around—only her and Mr. Crazy Eyes.

vVvVv

Darkness had settled over Fire Country. The thick canopy blocked the stars from view, but the half-moon shone brightly behind the tree tops. Naomi sat near a small fire, absentmindedly reapplying medical lotion to her injured calf. Flames danced in her eyes and exhaustion crept along the edges of her expression. Her thoughts were with Tenten, wondering if Lee had made it back to Konoha in time. _'Lee would never let himself fail. At anything,' _she quietly reassured herself. Across the fire, Neji's mind was racing. Who had attacked them today? Rogues? Scouts from Amegakure? And why hadn't he seen them coming? That damn fog—it had rendered his eyes nearly useless. Part of him screamed that Tenten's injuries were his fault, but the more collected part of him explained that it wouldn't do anybody any good to place blame.

"What if they come back?" Naomi's careful question pulled him from his thoughts and he glanced at her through the growing flames. Well, what _if_ they came back? Both Neji and Naomi knew how to break the mist down, but what else did this enemy know how to do? Quietly, he shrugged and brought his gaze back to the fire.

"Then we handle it." Naomi nodded, deciding that this answer was fair enough. Silence settled in once again, until Naomi's tired mind began urging her to ask Neji some rather… irrelevant questions.

"Hey," she began, wondering how to ease into her inquisitions. The uncertainty in her voice didn't exactly grab Neji's attention, but he was listening. "…do you think Tenten will be alright?"

"I do." His answer was plainly unsatisfying.

"What if she weren't?" Naomi prompted carefully, watching Neji's face. He didn't answer, so either it was a stupid question—likely—or he didn't want to get into it—less likely. "What do you think about Tenten?" This question had the jounin's eyes moving up to stare into Naomi's. What was she talking about? _'Well, maybe I'll be able to help Tenten out.'_ Tenten's denial of feelings for Neji had Naomi entirely unconvinced.

"She's a skilled kunoichi," he remarked, not unkindly.

"Yeah… but, what about her as just… a person?" Neji's brow furrowed.

"Is there something specific you'd like me to say?" he inquired, tone a little accusatory. He knew Naomi was pushing for something, but she wouldn't just come out and say what. Frustrating. Naomi quickly dropped her eyes to the fire, idly poking at it with a spare stick.

"Well, no, not _really_. Don't say anything you don't _want_ to say…"

"…are you trying to allude to the fact that she is a capable female on a team with two equally as capable males?" Naomi took a minute to chew this over.

"Um… yes. Or at least… I think I am." Neji sometimes wasn't as concise as Naomi would like him to be. "So… well? Anything to comment on the matter?" Neji was obviously annoyed by the ridiculous implications Naomi was clearly implicating.

"No."

"Oh, sorry then. I only assumed because, you know… the whole gender thing…" Trying to save face and make it seem like she _wasn't_ only curious about Neji, for Tenten's sake, Naomi continued. "What about Lee? What are his interests?"

"Lee is infatuated with any female who looks his way." He paused, and then added "Actually, no—they don't even have to be looking." Naomi blinked at Neji quizzically, gasping.

"Was that… was that a joke? Did Neji just make a joke?"

"No." And that was the end of Naomi's almost-laughter. The girl's next question left her mouth before she could make it die a bloody death.

"Well… what do you think about me?" Neji's answer was insultingly immediate.

"I don't." Naomi stammered, realizing what her question might seem to imply at face-value.

"N-No, no, not… not _you. _Not personally. I meant more of… what do the _three_ of you think of me? You know, being assigned to your team, and… and everything…" Now it was Neji's turn to watch Naomi's face carefully. His eyes burned into hers, and she couldn't hold his gaze so she resumed prodding at the fire with her dwindling piece of wood. Eventually, Neji gave a simple answer.

"Ask them, if you're so concerned about other people's opinions."

"Hey," Naomi shot back. "I am _not_ concerned about what people think of me." _'Only some people.'_ But she pushed that thought away. Neji scoffed, highly doubting the validity of her claim. Before she could dig a deeper hole, however, Naomi gingerly got to her feet and fetched her sleeping bag, unrolling it several feet away from the fire. "Wake me when it's my turn to keep watch," she remarked. As she snuggled into 'bed', propping her head up on a tree root, she felt grateful that it was much warmer than the night before, and it wasn't long before she'd drifted into unconsciousness.

Not much time had passed when Naomi was suddenly startled awake by a shrill cry. She sat bolt upright, irritating her injured shoulder, and looked around for the source of such a horrible noise. She caught the tail of something not much bigger than a cat darting back into the foliage. A kunai had hit the ground at the foot of her sleeping bag, and her eyes immediately found Neji, still seated neatly across from a much smaller fire.

"Whassat?" she asked not too intelligently, rubbing her eyes. "What's going on?" Neji murmured something that she couldn't catch and then he sighed.

"They smell your blood."

"…what is a 'they'?" Neji shrugged.

"Shrubrats. Or rootrats, depending on how you prefer to call them."

"I'd rather not call them at all," Naomi remarked, peering into the surrounding darkness for any signs of another… rat-thing. She heard Neji shuffling around, but didn't look to see what he was doing. "Is it gone?"

"That one is." Naomi grimaced.

"How many are there?"

"Enough to be a nuisance." The close proximity of his voice caused Naomi's head to whirl back around, nerves jumping. Neji had moved and now sat right beside her, leaning back against the same tree whose roots she had been using as a pillow.

"Um…"

"As long as you have those open wounds—bandaged or not—they'll keep coming back. So, either you can deal with me here, or risk waking up to one of them chewing on your leg." Naomi swallowed and double-checked the surrounding area for any signs of another demonrat.

"You are absolutely welcome to sit there," she chimed nervously. "In fact, I insist that you do." Something flashed across Neji's expression, something Naomi could not quite place, but it was gone in the next instant.

"If they smell me here, too, it should keep them away." _'Right, the smell that is neither good nor bad,'_ Naomi reminded herself.

"And… if it doesn't?"

"Then we'll have a hearty breakfast."

Hearing this, Naomi felt infinitely safer and thought more positively about sleeping, so she settled back down and nuzzled her face into the material of her bedding. "Alright, well… goodnight. And happy hunting."


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note:** I'm back at school, all moved in and settled. I'm hoping to have more writing time now that my schedule for the semester is becoming more predictable. Thanks to everyone who's been sticking with me!

Fourteen: Logic

When Naomi awoke, she was greeted by early morning sunlight and a thin dew coating the forest floor. As the morning began to grow warmer, a light mist danced through the trees. There was nothing threatening about it, but it still wasn't the first thing Naomi wanted to see after what happened the day before. Sitting up, she craned her neck and stretched, recoiling when a dull pain began to radiate in her shoulder.

"Right…" she murmured, stifling a yawn. As her brain kicked into "conscious mode", Naomi's sleepy blue eyes scanned the area. She immediately found Neji kneeling by the stream—he was quietly splashing cool water into his eyes. "Hey," Naomi called over, voice accusatory. "You were supposed to wake me up to keep watch." The jounin glanced over his shoulder, disinterested, and then turned to retrieve his headband from the ground. In that instant, Naomi's eyes narrowed onto the Hyuga's face. _'…not my first choice for tattoo placement.'_ She had only half a moment to see the green marks on Neji's forehead before they had been re-covered. A thought pushed its way into Naomi's head: _'His face looked less annoying just then.'_ It was a thought she quickly deflected.

"I let you sleep." A plain observation.

"Why?"

"To give your body as much time as possible to heal; I figured it would cut back on the chances of you complaining." And then, Naomi was glad Neji stayed up all night. And she said as much.

"Well... I hope you're really, _really_ tired," she commented with an indignant huff. _'Complain? Oh, come on—I don't complain.'_ Did the insults have to start this early? "…this is going to be a long walk back." Though Naomi had lowered her voice, Neji caught the remark. He wouldn't say as much, but he'd been thinking that very same thing. After Naomi had reapplied ointment to her legs, she carefully removed the bandages on either side of her torso. The bleeding had stopped, for which she was eternally grateful—she didn't want Neji to have to put more on. The first time had been awkward enough.

The forest was peaceful as our pair of protagonists made their way back to Konoha, walking single-file with Neji taking the lead. Of course. Things were relatively quiet between them… except for Naomi's periodic hisses of pain. She was struggling to find a comfortable way to carry her pack. Even light as it was, she couldn't put any of its weight on her right shoulder. But when it was all on her left side, her limp became irritatingly painful. She was more frustrated than anything, but her pained noises were a tad… bothersome.

"Do we need to stop so you can rest?" The way he asked this question made it clear that, if Naomi were to say yes… he'd probably kill her.

"No, I'm fine," Naomi assured him, squaring her shoulders and taking more confident steps while ignoring the ache that began to spread across her entire body. She mentally cursed with each step. _'Damn it… damn it… aaah, damn it…'_ For a short distance, she was able to maintain her stoic silence, but when her left foot hit a tree root and knives stabbed all up her leg, forcing her to call out, Neji immediately stopped. Naomi saw him inhale slowly before turning to face her. His expression was controlled enough, but the agitation was blazing behind his hard stare.

"Give it to me," he instructed. Naomi blinked at him, tightening her grip on her pack.

"No, I can manage."

"Obviously this isn't true. Just let me take it, and the trip will go by much faster."

"I'm not going to let you coddle me just because—"

"I don't coddle," he interjected. "This is just the most logical solution." Naomi scoffed.

"No, it's not, you just think that I can't—hey!" Before she could stop him, Neji had, with frustrating ease, taken Naomi's pack off of her shoulder and slung it onto his. Without another word to say on the matter, he simply began to walk off, carrying two packs effortlessly. Naomi glared burning daggers at the back of his head as they continued on their way. His face was annoying again, perhaps even more so than before. Bristling, Naomi refused to acknowledge the fact that Neji had been right; walking was almost painless now.

The sun was high overhead at that point, and Naomi was uncomfortably hungry. But she didn't dare even suggest that they perhaps pause briefly and find something to munch on. No way. She had something to prove: she wasn't helpless and didn't need coddling. If Neji could go without eating, then so could she. _'I bet, that if we found an ice cream vendor, he'd totally buy one and I'd just say "Oh, no thanks, I'm not hungry." Hah…yeah…'_ Lost in this lovely world where she was an all-around, infinitely better person than the arrogant Hyuga, Naomi didn't hear how her stomach had chosen that precise moment to voice its needs. Quite audibly, in fact. But Neji ignored the sounds—he'd done one borderline-nice thing already that morning. He was still doing it, in fact. Subconsciously, Neji adjusted the packs he carried, reminding himself with each step that this had simply been the most logical solution.

vVvVv

Just as Naomi had been about to crack and beg for a lunch break, the proud gates of Konoha emerged on the horizon. She almost began to run down the road they'd finally found, screaming "Yes! Get me out of the woods and away from this arrogant little—" but reminded herself that this would not be polite, and she needed people to think that she wasn't crazy. So, in lieu of raving like a madwoman, Naomi simply cleared her parched throat and moved to walk at Neji's side rather than behind him.

"Almost there," she remarked, tone casual. Neji said nothing. She should know better than to point out the blatant obvious. Really. "I can't wait to see how Tenten's doing—you think she's still in the hospital?"

"Possibly," Neji responded, tone indifferent. "You can ask the Hokage." Confused, Naomi blinked, carefully putting two and two together.

"Wait… we're going to see Lady Tsunade _first_?" Naomi had assumed they would have to check in and give some report or something, but couldn't that wait? Even an hour?

"Yes." The resounding 'duh' was evident in his voice.

"Don't you want to see how Tenten's doing?" Naomi continued, a tad incredulous.

"I'll go see how she's recovering after we—"

"No, no," Naomi cut in, shaking her head. "You're missing the point. Why isn't the wellbeing of your _teammate_ your _priority_?"

"It would be, if she were in danger," Neji clarified, words beginning to sound a bit clipped. "But she's not, so the Hokage comes first." Naomi's brow furrowed and she trained her eyes on the road ahead to keep from glaring at the Hyuga. Suddenly, she felt just plain awful for Tenten. _'What a jerk… Tenten obviously cares about him, and he's just like "ERROR: This does not compute."' _She'd have to be sure and remember to convince Tenten that there were other people who would be lucky to have her affections, and whose faces were not so annoying.

Sighing, Naomi mumbled an acceptably snarky "Whatever" and then decided against speaking for the rest of the walk to the village gates. Neji seemed to appreciate this idea, until, abruptly, his voice cut through the pleasant silence.

"It is not your place to question my loyalty towards my team, or towards Konoha." Naomi, caught off guard, blinked in surprise.

"Whoa, hey, I wasn't questioning your allegiance to your village. I was only saying that Tenten—"

"Of all people, really, you are the one least qualified to speak on this subject." Unfortunately, that stung. Naomi clamped her mouth shut and felt her shoulders grow tense. Finally, Neji's quiet, personal resentment towards Naomi had made another appearance. About time, because Naomi had been beginning to think he'd gotten over that, which just would've been too bad. What would she have done without his hatred digging into her each day? Phew. Neji's comment had been unexpected, and so Naomi had not been prepared to defend herself in such a way. The girl's cheeks burned with righteous anger and her walk became much more brisk; Neji matched the pace, if only to prove that she couldn't just walk away from him.

When at last they passed through the village gates, the guard on duty simply nodded to Neji and paid them no further heed. Naomi kept walking, making a pointed beeline for the main road. When she reached a quiet intersection, she stopped suddenly and whirled around to lock her blazing eyes onto Neji. The heat behind them even caused Neji momentary pause—Naomi wasn't usually so forthright with her anger. The last time had been in her room, after Neji had essentially electrocuted her, and the ensuing yelling match was not something Neji wished to repeat. There was no real cause for alarm, however, because as soon as Naomi met his stare she lost some of her nerve and had to look away.

"I don't expect you to approve, or even understand," she started, tone overly formal. "But I'm going to the hospital to see Tenten. Right now." Without giving the Hyuga a chance to destroy her bravado, Naomi turned heel and left the scene, losing an ounce of courage with each defiant step she took until she had safely rounded a corner. Once out of sight of the jounin, Naomi exhaled loudly and let her shoulders slump, praying to any god that Neji did not come after her.

When Naomi reached the hospital and asked for Tenten, the nurse at the front desk gave her a room number and a smile. Naomi found the door with 302 tacked onto the exterior and knocked lightly before entering. She was not expecting to have a Lee in her face so soon.

"Naomi! I had just told Tenten that I would be leaving her side to sit vigil at the gates of Konoha until you and Neji returned safely! I would not sleep until—" Naomi shushed him and smiled, putting a hand lightly on his shoulder. He straightened up, blushing proudly.

"Thank you, Lee. I'm so glad you both got back safely." She smiled over the young man's shoulder at Tenten, who was sitting up in her hospital bed. She looked weary—probably from having Lee constantly beside her.

"Ladies, if you would please excuse me—I must relay to Guy-sensei that our team is complete once again! I will not stop sprinting until I find him!" Lee made a ridiculously hasty exit, leaving Naomi alone with Tenten, who was currently pulling at the fibers of her sheet. Naomi approached the bed slowly, taking everything in. The dark bruising that had flowered around Tenten's throat already appeared lighter, and other than the bandages that wrapped around the kunoichi's ribs and wrists, she looked perfectly healthy.

"Hey…" Naomi began unsurely. "How are you?" Tenten shrugged, eyes wandering.

"Been better, been worse. You?" Her voice was still a touch raspy, as though she were getting over a cold.

"Oh, I'm fine. No real damage done." Naomi laughed quietly, letting the sound die beneath the ensuing silence. Shuffling quietly, Naomi realized she wasn't sure what to talk about. "Um… so… Neji will be here in a little while." Maybe that would perk Tenten up.

"Oh." Nope.

"Yeah," Naomi continued, absentmindedly running her fingers back through her hair. "He just needs to report to Lady Tsunade, and then—"

"You didn't need to go with him?"

"Well… no, I mean, maybe… I'm sure if Tsunade ends up needing to see me, Neji will let me know around, oh… four o'clock tomorrow morning." Her attempt at a joke fell on disinterested ears. Unable to continue ignoring the blatant tension in the room, Naomi studied her friend's face. Tenten's brow was furrowed, and her eyes were focused on her sheets, never once looking at Naomi. She seemed reluctant to talk and wasn't exactly thrilled about the visit. Readying herself, Naomi took a breath and posed a question. "Tenten, what is it? What's—" That was enough to get the ball rolling.

"How?" Tenten asked quietly.

"How… what?"

"How did you know about the senbon?"

"The senbon? You mean the ones that nearly punctured my lung? I just—"

"And the mist," Tenten continued, voice growing. "How come it didn't touch you? And why did you know how to stop it?" The accusations hiding far behind Tenten's questions had Naomi's mind racing. _'Those looks she kept throwing back at me in the woods… she wasn't checking to see if I was okay…'_ She was keeping an eye on Naomi. Realization hit the girl like a cold splash of water and she defensively took a step backward.

"Tenten… please tell me that you're not asking what I think you are." Tenten's silence told Naomi that yes, she was. "My God," she muttered, eyes hard. "You're just like _him_. Maybe he is right for you, after all." This remark forced Tenten to meet Naomi's broken stare. "I mean, come _on_, Tenten!" Her voice was much less steady now. "I can't follow this logic you and Neji seem to share—if I were out to kill someone, why wouldn't I just let you die? I've saved _both_ of your lives, and I—"

"Funny how you always seem to be around when one of us is dying." That was it. Naomi's mouth fell open as she gawked at the stranger sitting in the hospital bed.

"You… are unbelievable." Medics threw Naomi questioning glances as she stormed out of the hospital, Tenten's door rattling on its hinges after a slam resonated down the hall. Naomi didn't know where she was going, but she needed to walk. She needed to be someplace where people didn't stare, or accuse her of things behind her back, or… or hate her.

She found herself making her way towards Sakura's house. She hadn't been there since her arrival in Konoha, but when she thought about what she was going to say to the pink-haired kunoichi she felt herself changing directions. Naomi wasn't ready to find out if Sakura thought she was an enemy. So instead she simply walked the streets until shadows stretched out in front of her. The sun was setting—she'd be due at the compound soon, and she dreaded having to go back. But her leg throbbed and her back felt raw where the material of her shirt kept touching the open wound, so, reluctantly, she made her way to the Hyuga property.

vVvVv

Naomi had hardly taken three steps past the iron gates before she saw him. Leaning against the railing of the veranda, arms folded, Neji watched her in his cold, calculating way. Briefly, she considered just turning right around and walking straight back into the woods where they'd found her, but eventually thought better of it and continued toward the front steps. She had planned on just passing nonchalantly by the brooding Hyuga, but he was standing in front of her before she could even touch the finished wood. For a moment, she looked up at him, reading his eyes and judging how this encounter was about to go based on his expression. Figuring him out was nearly impossible, but Naomi thought maybe she'd picked up a few things during their short times together.

What she saw when she looked at him probably did not bode well for her sanity. The sharp scrutiny behind his glare cut through her cleaner than the senbon, and his expression looked almost bitter. Not a second had passed, and Naomi was already looking away. She didn't want to hear whatever lecture he was about to assail her with.

"You—"

"I get it," she snapped suddenly, efficiently cutting Neji off. Her eyes worked on trying to set the ground on fire while her voice resonated through the air. "I'm the enemy because I can't prove otherwise. You don't trust me, and, you know what? I guess I wouldn't trust me, either. I might steal candy from kids, or rob merchants on the road, or maybe—" She had to pause here to keep her voice from cracking. "—maybe I kill people. You don't know, and neither do I." Her fury died away, leaving behind the ashes of fear and remorse. "You don't trust me, and you probably never will because my life is full of too many maybes. And I suppose that's just what makes you a good shinobi—always looking out for the safety of your village. So," she paused to inhale and add light formality to her wavering tone. With great determination, she was able to meet his eyes. "You don't need to like me, but you also don't need to keep _reminding_ me. Just accept the fact that I'm here until Lady Tsunade either throws me out of this village, or into a jail cell, alright? Now, please, just… just goodnight." For the second time that day, Naomi walked away from a perturbed Neji before he had the chance to stop her.

Struggling to remain composed as she made her way to her room, Naomi felt her mind racing even faster than her emotions. What was going to happen? Would she still be training with Guy and his team, or was the mistrust widespread enough to excuse her from attending future sessions? Who else hated her? Sakura? Did Kakashi think Naomi was a danger, that she was playing some role to come off as harmless? These questions and many more ravaged her thoughts and she squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to stymie their flow.

"Damn," she breathed, now approaching her bedroom door. As she stepped closer, her eyes fell to a shape resting against the wall. The sight of her pack, the one Neji had insisted he carry, somehow settled the girl's frantic emotions. She could've handled today better, she realized. _'I at least should have thanked him for staying with me… or pulling the needles out… or keeping the monster rats away… or something, before I flew off the handle.'_

That night, when Naomi had slipped into bed and was trying to fall asleep in the silence of her dark room, she felt the smallest smile pulling at her expression. It was not a happy smile—it was one inspired by cynicism and irony. Things had been going too well, she realized. It was about time something happened to mess everything up again.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note:** Highest word count so far. Just thought ya'll should know ;)

Fifteen: A Narrowed Search

Naomi's dreams were ravaged by garish images and endless shadows and faceless enemies and flowers that catch fire and little girls with big eyes who like to throw up their arms and say "Buzzzz!" The night passed slowly, with Naomi constantly tossing and turning as each minute passed. Whenever she would be startled awake by a particularly nightmarish image, she would immediately forget everything she'd been seeing. By the time the sun began to leak its light over Konoha, Naomi could not remember a single dream she had had, but still felt the aftermath of her restless night. Eventually, she gave up on trying to sleep and simply lay on her back, staring up at the blank ceiling. Today, she would talk to Sakura and see just how the kunoichi felt about her. She'd find Hinata, and Kakashi and Naruto, and all the others she'd met since her arrival. If they all hated her, or just couldn't trust her, she wanted to know.

When the first knock sounded on her door, Naomi ignored it, still formulating how she would go about hunting all of these people down and breaching the topic of her interest. _'"So, Ino, we met that one time for ten minutes—do you hate me?"…yeah, great idea.'_ The second, louder knock had pulled Naomi out from under the sheets and gotten her to her feet. Stifling a yawn, she shuffled to her door and opened it only partially. The light burned her eyes and she had to squint in order to focus on the person in the doorway.

"What?" she asked, not too politely. Neji stood before her, looking indifferent as ever.

"We're meeting Guy in one hour for—"

"No," Naomi remarked quietly, rubbing her eyes. Neji stared at the girl with a hard expression.

"No? What do you mean 'no'?"

"I mean," Naomi began, fighting off another yawn. "No, I won't be meeting anybody in an hour; I have things to do today. Now, please remove yourself from my doorway." Deciding that she'd said enough, Naomi pushed the door shut and turned to crawl back into bed. Neji's palm landing solidly against the door, however, halted her. Sighing, she turned back around, squinting even more as light poured into her bedroom. Neji stood glaring at her. "I'm not going," she repeated, voice firm but not angry. Shrugging, she perched herself on the edge of her bed. "You and Tenten don't want me there, and that's fine. I—"

"You were right." Unable to resist this opportunity, Naomi responded immediately, her comment thriving on her exhaustion and sarcasm.

"Well, yes, I usually am, but that's not the point." She went to continue, but Neji cut her off.

"No," he corrected, voice gaining a slight edge of agitation. Naomi blinked up at him, waiting expectantly for him to continue. The faster he said whatever he was going to say, the faster Naomi could disagree and get back into the warm mess of blankets behind her. The Hyuga glared at the girl, and then narrowed his eyes onto the open doorway. He didn't want to say this. "You were right about going to see Tenten first." _'That's what I was trying to tell you last night, before you went off ranting in my face,' _he thought. Naomi's cheeks flushed lightly with embarrassment, but she managed to remain composed.

"Oh. Glad you at least agree." And then, she couldn't help but add, a bit more sharply, "But a lot of good it did me, because, apparently, I have far fewer friends than I originally thought." Neji scoffed.

"Technically, it's only one less," he explained. Naomi stared at him questioningly, about to feel touched over what he was implying. This moment was short lived, however. "You and I were never friends." Naomi's shoulders slumped and she dropped her eyes. She couldn't keep herself from smiling at the truth Neji had pointed out.

"Right, thanks for putting that into perspective. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to try and get some sleep before heading into town today." Neji folded his arms, eyes back on Naomi.

"Heading into town to do what, exactly?" What did she think was so important that she could just blow off training without prior notice? Naomi straightened up and spoke formally.

"I need to find out who's still on my side, if anyone ever really was." Again, Neji scoffed. The jounin suddenly turned and strode for the door, pausing just before stepping over the threshold.

"Instead of wasting your time trying to figure out who your friends are, you could do yourself a favor by assuming you never had any to begin with. Then your time could be better spent trying to figure out who you really are, why someone doesn't want you to remember, and what exactly it is that they don't want you to know." When the door slammed, Naomi felt her composure shatter. Neji had forgotten perhaps the most important question of all, one that had been demanding an answer since Naomi first opened her eyes on that rainy day those weeks ago.

_'Why isn't anyone looking for me?'_

A fire started within Naomi at that moment, a burning determination to find the answers she so desperately needed. She'd never say it to his face, but Neji had been right. He had been brutally right. Naomi shouldn't be worrying about friends when she still had so many problems festering in her life-of-maybes. _'Alright, Naomi… today. Today you find answers.'_ And when Naomi's head hit her pillow for the millionth time, she fell effortlessly into an impenetrable fortress of dreamless slumber.

VVVVV

As Neji made his way to the training field to meet up with the dynamic duo, Guy and Lee, his thoughts went back to the previous day, to during his meeting with Lady Tsunade. She'd told him she was glad they'd all made it back safely—it would have been a hassle having to organize a retrieval squad, as she was insanely busy.

"The people who attacked you," she asked, reading over a scroll spread out over her desk. "Did you get to see them?" The Hyuga's jaw tensed and his eyes hardened.

"No," was all he said, too frustrated that his Byakugan had failed him to say as much.

"I see." Silence fell over the room then, the Hokage scouring her reading material while Neji was left to wait for dismissal. After several long minutes, Lady Tsunade sat back and met the jounin's stare. "Lee told me that they attacked with mist, is this correct?"

"Yes."

"And this is what hospitalized your teammate?"

"Yes."

"If Naomi had not acted, can you say with certainty that Tenten would have been killed?" Neji hesitated only for the briefest of moments before answering, but Tsunade noticed.

"Yes."

"And she was the one who figured out how to dispel the attack?" Another innocuous pause.

"Yes."

"I see." Silence again. Tsunade leaned back in her chair and put her fingertips together, rhythmically tapping them against her chin. Neji tried to follow her train of thought, but her expression gave little away.

"Lady Tsunade," he began, choosing his question carefully and maintaining an overly formal tone. "Are you implying that she could save Tenten because she had prior knowledge of that sort of jutsu?"

"I'm not implying anything," Tsunade explained plainly. "You see, Neji…" She paused, considering something. "This information is currently classified, but I feel that you're responsible enough to be let in. Am I wrong?" Neji did not answer immediately, which, in its own way, impressed the Hokage—most shinobi would have immediately jumped on the chance to learn anything classified. The Hyuga's thoughtful hesitation only reinforced what she'd originally thought: Neji was, of course, responsible enough.

"You're not," Neji finally replied, tone measured. Lady Tsunade nodded.

"Good. You see, there have been several reports of attacks similar to the one you experienced, all occurring within the last month or so." She paused here, watching Neji's expression carefully to see if he could put the timetables together. It took him only a moment.

"Naomi was brought here nearly a month ago," he remarked, a small question of clarification hiding in his words. Tsunade nodded.

"There's more," she continued. "Whenever there is an attack, one of the targets is always female, with brown hair and—"

"—blue eyes." Stormy blue eyes. "Lady Tsunade, has anyone else—"

"—survived? No, not usually. There have been four deaths and two hospitalizations so far, including your teammate. Most of the victims are citizens from the outlying towns—yours is the first report linked directly to this village." Neji's brow furrowed in concentration and his mouth formed a hard line. What did all of this mean? Mercenaries, killers-for-hire, one of the other villages looking for vengeance against something Naomi had been a part of? The Hyuga's mind was racing when a question was suddenly burning into his thoughts.

"Lady Tsunade, do you think—" But Tsunade had been expecting this question, and her answer was immediate.

"That Naomi is a threat to this village? Of course I did—I had to assume that she was. But now I'm wondering if perhaps I had been looking at her situation from the wrong angle. It might be far more productive to stop thinking of her as the enemy, and start thinking of her…" The Hokage's voice trailed off, blatantly prompting Neji to finish her line of logic. And quietly, reluctantly, he finally did.

"As the victim." Tsunade smirked. She knew it would be wise to bring Neji to light on the current situation, classified or not—he was level-headed and would be able to see things objectively enough. Nodding, the sanin dismissed the jounin and resumed reading the scroll on her desk. Just before Neji could leave the office, however, her question had him stalled in the doorway.

"You've been around her enough," she began, voice off-hand. "In your opinion, does she seem like a danger to this village?"

When Neji realized he was stepping out onto the training field, his thoughts from the previous day dispersed in order to let him focus on the present. As he approached Guy and Lee, Tenten still on bed-rest, he thought briefly of that morning. He hadn't made Naomi come to today's session like he should have, because he found himself wanting answers almost as badly as she did.

VVVVV

She needed help. Naomi had been pacing the streets of Konoha since late in the morning, unable to fathom how she would even begin her search for answers. Without a high-ranking escort, she couldn't leave the village, and she truly doubted she'd stumble across any clues while sitting in the local teashop. The one logical solution to this was to recruit Sakura for assistance, but Naomi was still reluctant to face the kunoichi—what if she secretly doubted her just like Tenten? There was Kakashi as an option, but she couldn't imagine asking the jounin to help when he probably had many other important obligations on his plate. _'There's always Naruto.'_ Naomi laughed at this thought. No way. After mulling over her options for a good while, Naomi finally settled on recruiting Sakura.

Making her way to the Haruno household, Naomi contemplated how she would go about her search. It seemed almost futile—she didn't know what she was looking for, where it might be, or what it could possibly look like. These thoughts made each step feel heavier than the last, until Naomi was practically dragging herself down the street. When at last she made it to Sakura's doorstep, she straightened up, did her best to smile, and knocked confidently on the front door.

No answer.

Spirit faltering a bit, Naomi knocked again, and then a third time when she was met with only silence. She felt her heart sinking as the seconds passed—Sakura had to be home. She _had_ to be. Didn't she know Naomi needed her help just then? Sighing in loud frustration, Naomi sunk down to sit on the kunoichi's front steps, resting her head on her arms. Fine, she would just wait until Sakura came home. She couldn't be gone too long, right? Probably just out to fetch groceries, or—

"She's out." The voice of indifference had Naomi lifting her head, eyes narrowing onto a passerby. But she knew this passerby… what was his name? He paused just before walking by, a bored expression plastered across his face. Naomi only had to see him a moment longer before his name suddenly came back to her.

"Oh, good morning, Shikamaru. Sakura's out?" Lazily, the young man let his eyes wander over the house's exterior.

"Yeah, sent off on a mission this morning. You're Naomi, right?" Naomi nodded, doing her best to maintain a friendly smile after Shikamaru's news hit her like a brick to the face. Shrugging, trying to appear nonchalant, Naomi got to her feet and moved off of the front steps.

"Thanks for letting me know—I might have been sitting there for a while." Shikamaru hummed in response, brushing it off.

"See you around," was all he said before continuing on his leisurely way, hands buried comfortably in his pockets. Once his back was turned, Naomi let her expression fall and her shoulders slump. Who would help her now? The day off she'd managed to nab from Neji was going to be wasted unless… As Naomi turned to make her way toward the training field, Sakura's quiet voice from days ago pushed into her thoughts. _"He's the laziest genius I know."_ Suddenly, Naomi halted with her next step and spun around, realization blanketing her face. She could really use a genius right now.

"Um… uh, hey! Shikamaru!" she called out, jogging to catch up to the jounin; his unhurried pace hadn't taken him very far. He paused and turned slightly, watching Naomi expectantly. She reached his side and suddenly felt embarrassed. What was she doing? She hardly knew this guy, why did she think she could ask him for such a big favor? It was too late, however, for her to come up with an excuse. "Um… I was wondering—if you're not busy, of course—if maybe you could… you see, the thing is, I just…" Feeling incredibly awkward now, Naomi dropped her eyes and fidgeted uneasily, feeling her cheeks flush. "You know what? Never mind. Sorry for bothering you." As she began to walk off, Shikamaru sighed and looked up at the sky. He knew things were probably about to become very bothersome, but he also recognized the desperate glint behind Naomi's stormy blue eyes. Sighing again, he called after the girl before her embarrassment sent her running, and before he changed his mind.

"I'm not busy, what do you need?"

vVvVv

"Are you sure we're going the right way?"

"Of course. You know… sort of."

"Great." After having explained her situation to Shikamaru, Naomi convinced him to act as her escort so she could go back to the place where she'd first woken up in the forest nearly a month ago. He sighed constantly, but seemed more or less okay with spending his day wandering around the quiet woods surrounding Konoha. To him, they were peaceful, but to Naomi, they were eerie and dangerous. Upon Shikamaru's request, the girl had recounted exactly everything she could remember from that day. When she came to the part about the Crazy Treeman, she couldn't contain herself and carried on and on about how absolutely crazy he must've been. Shikamaru listened to everything, not appearing to pay attention when really he was absorbing every word. Naomi was one big mystery, and it wasn't often the jounin found a puzzle he couldn't solve, so her story kept him intrigued.

The pair walked in relative silence as Naomi tried to work out from her memory the exact place where she'd first opened her eyes. She was struggling, but had a good feeling about their direction. After she'd overcome her initial awkwardness from asking for his help, Naomi found it very easy to relax around Shikamaru—he was laid back enough for ten people, and she didn't feel pressured or judged.

"What are you expecting to find out here, anyways?" he questioned, tone flat. Naomi shrugged, pausing momentarily to get her bearings.

"I'm not really sure—hopefully I'll know it when I see it." She paused, and then started off again through the trees. "I think we're close now." And they were. They were very close. In fact, after only a dozen steps, Naomi was standing beside the tree she'd taken shelter beneath during the rain that had woken her. She recognized the area and inhaled, hands trembling with nervous excitement. "Here," Naomi breathed, wide eyes drifting around the small alcove of trees. Stretching his arms up and lacing his fingers behind his head, Shikamaru also gave the space a once over.

"Nothing particularly noteworthy about 'here'," he remarked, now peering up at the afternoon sky through the canopy—but Naomi was only barely listening. She was walking again, slowly, mind digging into her memory to remember each step. Sighing, Shikmaru followed just behind. They walked for only a little while longer, until Naomi's eyes narrowed onto something silver glinting in the afternoon sun. Cautiously, she approached an old tree, gingerly reaching out to touch the senbon protruding from its bark. The Crazy Treeman had not collected them.

"These hit me," she murmured, absentmindedly brushing her fingers along her upper arm where two thin, pink lines of scar tissue marked her skin.

"Okay," Shikamaru prompted. "How is that helpful? It happened after you woke up." Naomi blinked, eyes giving the treetops a quick once over for safety before turning to Shikamaru.

"I don't know, I guess it isn't really helpful." And then, Naomi felt an idea brewing. Without explaining, she took off jogging back to that first clearing. Shikamaru grumbled about how there was no reason not to be walking, but kept pace with Naomi despite this. The girl came to a stop in the spot where she'd woken up and she let her eyes wander the area. "Mind telling me what the rush is all about?" Shikamaru drawled, replacing his hands comfortably behind his head.

"I didn't get a good look at this place when I first came around," Naomi explained. She didn't continue, assuming the 'lazy genius' would be able to put two and two together.

"So you're thinking maybe you'll recognize something here."

"Exactly." Unable to disagree with this idea, the jounin simply stepped back to let Naomi concentrate. Her eyes ravaged the area now, mind racing as it searched for something—anything—to strike a familiar chord. When nothing seemed to be ringing a bell, she became frantic. What was she supposed to do if she couldn't find some clue about herself here? She had no other leads, no other options—she'd have to go back to waiting, and while she was waiting people would be thinking the worst sort of thoughts about her. "Shikamaru?" she chimed suddenly, pausing in her desperate search. Her voice was tentative.

"Hm?" The young man was watching a young bird preen on a high branch overhead.

"When you first met me… or, when Sakura first told you about me, what did… I mean, did you think…" Frustrated, struggling to maintain her composure, Naomi clamped her mouth shut, glaring at something very far away. Casually, Shikamaru slid his hands into his pockets and tilted his head just enough to watch Naomi. His eyes lingered on her for only a moment before he sighed and resumed watching the tiny, feathered creature up above.

"Are you asking if I think you're dangerous, or are you asking me if I believe your story?" Shoulders rigid, still struggling to recompose herself, Naomi only shrugged as she folded her arms in front of her.

"Never mind. It doesn't matter," she said with a huff. "There's nothing here, let's just go." Sighing, Shikamaru closed his eyes and shook his head. This was troublesome.

"It obviously matters; otherwise, you wouldn't have put so much effort into trying to ask." Indignant, Naomi glanced at the jounin. She muttered another "never mind" before beginning the walk back to the main road. Sighing again for good measure, Shikamaru trailed after her. They walked in silence, Naomi losing the relaxation she'd felt before and Shikamaru looking no less comfortable. Once back on the main road, Naomi let her mind drift away from the current situation. What options was she left with? She could visit surrounding villages and towns, but Lady Tsunade said she'd already sent shinobi out to do that very thing; Naomi never once came up as a missing person, or even a runaway. _'Maybe I'll just have Neji electrocute me again,'_ she thought cynically. Either that plan would work and she'd make progress, or she'd die and all of her problems would solve themselves.

"I do." Shikamaru's offhand remark pulled Naomi back to reality.

"You do…?"

"Believe you." Naomi's eyes widened, a spark of hope flashing behind her gaze.

"Wait… really?" Shikamaru shrugged.

"I don't think you're the lying type," he pointed out matter-of-factly. Though he'd never say as much, because it would be like bragging and bragging was pointless, Shikamaru considered himself a kind of expert on judging people. His first impressions were rarely wrong.

"How can you know that when_ I_ don't even know what type of person I am?" Naomi questioned half jokingly. Shikamaru shrugged.

"I don't know. I just do." After what had probably been ages, Naomi felt herself smiling a real, happy smile. Someone was on her side—things weren't looking quite as bleak anymore. She thought about asking for an answer to the other question: did he think she was dangerous? _'Probably not to him, personally,'_ she mused. _'His shadow techniques can hold me without much of a problem.'_ She continued to smile at this memory. However, the smile faltered when she realized something felt… off. Not in a dangerous way, just in an… 'off' sort of way. Naomi's brow creased and she looked around, slowing her pace. "Hey… are we…?"

"Hm? Going in the wrong direction?" A smirk threatened to break out across Shikamaru's plain expression. "Yeah." Naomi stopped in the middle of the road, staring at Shikamaru incredulously.

"What? Why? Why didn't you say something?" Shikamaru slowed to a halt a few feet away and shrugged, looking back at the flustered brunette.

"I don't know—you seemed pretty sure about where you were going."

"But why would I—" Naomi cut off as realization hit her. She gasped, and the smirk that had been threatening to reveal itself finally immerged at the edge of Shikamaru's mouth. He nodded once knowingly. Quietly, her eyes trained on the jounin, Naomi put into words what they both were now thinking. "I went this way… because it's familiar." But now that she was aware of this, could she keep going? Suddenly, worry flashed behind Naomi's eyes. "But, Shikamaru, isn't there a market town a few miles down this way? I've been there once before with Team Guy, so it can't be—"

"So what?" Shikamaru interjected coolly, shrugging. "Don't chalk it off as an impossibility. Remember, you seem to know what you're doing when you don't know what you're doing." Naomi grinned, checking the sky for time.

"That town is still a couple miles away. I don't think we'll make it there and back before sundown."

"What happens at sundown?"

"My curfew," Naomi explained, chuckling quietly. Shikamaru shrugged, starting back down the road in his own, leisurely way.

"Then I'll write you a note. Let's go." Naomi simply couldn't let herself object.

vVvVv

The late afternoon was becoming early evening by the time Naomi and her escort had entered the small town of which Naomi had never thought to ask the name of. Business was settling down after a long day, so the bustling streets were now quiet and almost deserted.

"When you were here with Guy's team," Shikamaru mused. "Did you recognize anything, or even just think that you did?" Naomi paused, thinking back on that delivery mission to the Matsuri family. No, she hadn't recognized anything then. _'But everyone seemed to recognize me,'_ she thought, and Neji was the only other person who noticed that. But then, there was something she'd kept to herself… _'That little girl…'_ Now, whenever Naomi remembered the little girl's face, she felt something biting at the back of her mind—some wild beast fighting to break the chains that were holding it down. Blinking these thoughts away, Naomi only shrugged as she continued walking.

"No, I didn't."

"I said you weren't the lying type—don't make me wrong." Naomi's cheeks flushed—Shikamaru's response had been immediate. Was she that transparent?

"No, no," she stammered defensively. "I didn't _lie_, I really didn't recognize anything." Shikamaru sighed.

"But?" Naomi let her eyes fall as she walked—she didn't want to tell Shikamaru everything, but felt that she owed it to him.

"But… everyone here seemed to recognize me, and in a bad way," she explained, voice low. The jounin chewed this over for a few moments, letting his eyes wander lazily around the sleepy marketplace.

"Okay," he breathed at last, tone flat. "But what else aren't you telling me?" When Naomi didn't answer, Shikamaru sighed; the girl was being very troublesome with all of this beating around the bush. The jounin simply stopped walking then, watching Naomi with his hands in his pockets. When she realized he was no longer following her, Naomi turned, shuffling uneasily. "You asked for my help with this, but I can't do anything without all of the pieces." He shrugged, somewhat indifferently. "So either you can tell me everything, or we can just turn around right now because going any further would be a waste of time." Naomi's cheeks flushed, as they often did, and she averted her eyes. Shikamaru was right, of course, but she was still reluctant to share everything. "Just decide—I don't care much one way or the other." Well, he _did_ care, but only a little—he'd like to know the answer to this puzzle, but that was currently his only investment.

"Sorry," Naomi murmured. "You're right; I should've told you everything." Shikamaru waited expectantly. He knew he was right, of course, but didn't find it necessary to say as much. The jounin watched Naomi with a flat expression. He wouldn't _make_ her tell him anything—that was the Hokage's place, not his. Eventually, however, she did continue speaking, after first glancing around to make sure no eaves were being dropped. "Okay," she breathed. "When I was here with Guy's team, we dropped a package off with this family. While we were at the farm house, I ran into this little girl. She… she did something strange that I didn't think very much of at first, but ever since I sparred with Neji, I've been having these weird dreams. And Hana—the little girl—is always in them, doing that same, strange thing." Now it was Naomi's turn to watch Shikamaru, who was looking thoughtfully into the distance. He stayed like this for what felt like a very long time, building on Naomi's anxiety.

"You sparred with Neji?" he finally asked. Naomi quirked her eyebrow and fought back a smile.

"That's your question? After everything I just said?" The jounin shrugged.

"So who won?" he prompted. Now Naomi did smile, her expression suspiciously innocent.

"Well… I'm sure he'd disagree, but I'm going to say that I did." Inside, Shikamaru was fairly impressed, but on the outside he only smirked. Once the moment passed, he brought the conversation back to the original topic.

"What did the girl do that was so strange?" The laughter in Naomi's eyes died away then, and she looked around unsurely.

"Um… well, she just sort of…" Quietly, Naomi mimicked the little girl's movements, holding her arms out to the sides with her fingers spread apart. "And then she said 'buzzzzzzzzz'!" Feeling slightly foolish, Naomi dropped her arms. "I know it doesn't seem like much, but when I sparred with Neji… I did that exact same thing, only instead of saying 'buzzzzz', a sound like static actually filled the air. It was a jutsu I used—I don't know how I did it." Naomi exhaled quietly, shrugging. "And… that's everything." Again, Shikamaru was quiet while he absorbed this new information. Obviously that little girl—Hana, was it?—must've seen Naomi use that jutsu before. But how? And when? Shikamaru closed his eyes, trying to piece everything together. Unfortunately, he knew that there were many other pieces of this puzzle that they didn't yet have at their disposal. Sighing, Shikamaru let his eyes drift up to the evening sky.

"All we know is that that girl has seen you before, and the people in this town aren't exactly fond of you," he remarked. "What was the name of the family you gave the package to?"

"Matsuri."

"Maybe we can catch them before they go to bed for the night." The blood drained from Naomi's face, but she didn't question or object—she simply led the way to the old farmhouse at the other end of the small town. She grew increasingly worrisome as they approached, feeling her hands turn more clammy with each step. When at last they reached the Matsuri property, Naomi hung back while Shikamaru knocked on the front door. Eventually, the woman from the time before answered, tone polite but eyes wary of the strangers who had come to her at such an odd hour.

"Good evening, Lady Matsuri," Shikamaru greeted her. His voice sounded uncharacteristically engaged. The woman nodded to him. She smiled until her eyes drifted over his shoulder to Naomi who had been trying to remain out of sight. When they locked eyes, noticeable worry crossed the woman's face.

"What is this about?" she asked. Shikamaru was watching her carefully.

"I'm sorry to have to bother you like this, but as a jounin of Konohagakure I've been sent on a mission to gather information. Please, if you could tell me…" Shikamaru turned slightly and gestured toward Naomi. Unsurely, she stepped forward. "Do you recognize this shinobi?" The woman's eyes lingered on the girl for only a moment before they swept around the property.

"Yes. She was with the team that came a couple of weeks back. They delivered a package here." Shikamaru nodded, eyes trained on the woman.

"Is that all?" he prompted. Lady Matsuri smiled politely, but it did not reach her eyes.

"Yes," she replied lightly, but the look on her face was screaming _"No."_

"Thank you for your help. Sorry again for bothering you." Shikamaru turned to leave then, but Naomi hesitated. While her escort continued to walk off, Naomi approached the door just as Lady Matsuri moved to close it.

"Please," she chimed quietly. The woman stared at her cautiously. "You daughter, Hana, is she awake? Could I speak to her? I—"

"No, please just leave us alone." The emotion behind the woman's voice dropped a stone in Naomi's stomach. She stepped forward, and Lady Matsuri closed the door a little bit further. "Look," she whispered, voice hardly audible as her eyes scanned the now dark property. "I appreciate everything you've done for us—for my daughter—but please don't bother us again. Please." And then the door clicked shut and Naomi was left standing in shocked silence. She felt Shikamaru move to stand beside her, but could barely hear what he was saying to her.

"Let's go," he urged, voice steady and quiet. Seeing that Naomi was struggling to process reality, Shikamaru sighed and put a hand lightly on her arm, guiding her back down the road. "Come on." The two walked in silence for quite some time. In fact, they'd walked almost the entire six miles back to Konoha before Naomi found something to break the silence.

"What," she began, voice soft and eyes distant. "What could I have done to merit such… such…"

"Fear, apprehension," Shikamaru filled in, tone offhand. Naomi nodded.

"Right… and what she said before closing the door, how she 'appreciates everything I've done for them'—no one came off as particularly appreciative. They were… they're all either scared or… or _angry_." Shikamaru shrugged, clearly not as affected by the encounter as Naomi was, currently.

"Maybe it's not you—it might be something that they associate with you," he mused.

"Yeah, maybe," Naomi muttered half-heartedly. It seemed they'd come close to an answer, but were now left with only more questions. As they continued walking, Shikamaru asked idle questions about Naomi's progress; had she discovered any new abilities, have any memories come back, etc. She answered everything as best she could, glad to have a distraction from the evening's events. By the time they reached the gates of Konoha, Naomi could only assume it was a while after midnight, and she wondered how much trouble she'd be in when she returned to the compound. Before they parted ways, Naomi turned to Shikamaru, stifling a yawn. The young man also looked tired, but it wasn't much different than his usual expression. "Shikamaru?"

"Hm?"

"Listen, I just want to thank you again for helping me today—I don't know what I would have done if I'd been left to pace my room, alone with my thoughts." Shikamaru shrugged.

"No big deal. I had nothing else to do." Naomi grinned.

"Yeah, well, just… thanks again. And, really, thank you for… you know, believing me." Again, Shikamaru shrugged, brushing her off.

"See you around," was all he said before turning in his casual way and walking off at his leisurely pace. Sighing, Naomi reluctantly made her way back to the Hyuga compound. After being in the presence of someone so laid back all day, she wasn't sure she'd be able to handle the uptight attitude of one particular Hyuga. _'He's probably going to rip my head off and use my insides as a spread on his crackers.'_

When she made it to the iron gates, she was dismayed to find that they'd been latched for the night. She tried to wriggle her hand through the bars and bend it at just the right angle to undo the locking mechanism, but only succeeded in nearly getting her hand completely stuck. Exhausted from her long day and sleepless night, Naomi simply leaned forward and rested her forehead against the cold iron, letting her eyes slide shut.

"N-Naomi?" At the sound of that all too familiar voice calling to her, Naomi's head snapped up.

"Hinata!" Oh, thank goodness. "Can you _please_ let me in?"

"O-Oh! Of course!" The shy Hyuga quickly unlatched the gates and granted entrance. Naomi hurried inside, relocking the gate behind her.

"You're a lifesaver, Hinata, really. Why are you up at this hour?"

"Well, I-I…" She trailed off, fidgeting uncomfortably. "W-When you didn't come back b-before sundown, Neji was… he was…" Naomi's face fell.

"He was uncharacteristically pleasant and all around okay with the situation?" Hinata swallowed dryly and Naomi closed her eyes, sighing. Of course not. "How mad was he?"

"I-It's more like… how m-mad _is_ he. I-I've been waiting for you to come back, s-so I could warn you." Naomi's expression softened and she smiled at Hinata, placing a hand gently on her shoulder.

"Thanks, Hinata—you're a good friend." Another person Naomi could add to her list entitled 'People Who Like Me'. Hinata blushed, smiling back. But then, suddenly, fear coated her expression and she began to stammer so frantically Naomi could hardly make out what she was saying. But she didn't need to. Staring at Hinata forlornly, Naomi groaned and let her shoulders slump. "He's coming right now, isn't he?" Hinata nodded. Fabulous. "Well," Naomi breathed. "You'd better run along to avoid being splattered by my insides." Hinata hesitated, but Naomi reassured her with a smile and ushered her off. She had barely enough time to brace herself before Neji's voice was cutting through the nighttime quiet.

"_What_ were you _thinking?_" Naomi turned to face the raging Hyuga. His eyes burned with the fire of one thousand suns, his face unnervingly impassable.

"I told you I was going—"

"No," he snapped, still stalking toward Naomi. "You said that you were going into _town_, not off gallivanting for hours outside of the village. Do you even realize how much trouble you've caused me?" Naomi couldn't help but be impressed with herself—she'd made problems for Neji without even being around. Nice. Standing just before her now, the Hyuga glared down at her and continued. "You have been assigned to live on this compound for the duration of your stay. It is _my_ job to make sure you don't go running off. I could now be tagged as irresponsible, and you could be labeled a flight risk. Lady Tsunade—" Naomi shrunk back as she cut him off.

"Take it easy—I had an escort. He said he'll write me a note."

"This is not a joke," Neji snapped, causing Naomi to flinch. "If I had known your plan was to leave Konoha and completely disregard your curfew, I never would have let you—"

"Neji, could you please just _calm down_ for maybe two seconds? I'm sure you've been waiting all day to blow up in my face, but I'm exhausted and would rather deal with this in the morning. And besides…" She paused here to take a breath and calm her voice. Neji stood expectantly—impatiently—before her. Naomi hoped, desperately hoped, that she could stem his rage by baiting his curiosity. "Wouldn't you like an explanation—"

"No."

"Okay, okay, how about…" Naomi paused, wondering if Neji even cared enough about the situation for this to work. "How about some new information about me?" The Hyuga's jaw tensed. If Naomi had found anything out, he did, in fact, want to know. Not because he cared, but because he wanted to clear up whether or not Naomi was, in fact, an enemy or a victim. His searing eyes cut into hers.

"Yes," he replied at last, and Naomi told him everything.


	16. Dear Readers

**Author's Message**

Alright everyone, I owe all of you reading this an apology. I thought I would have time this past semester to keep up with my story writing, but this proved to be false, as, clearly, I have nothing for you. Now that I'm on break (a whole month!), however, I plan on doing everything I can to give you all the updates you've been waiting for and very much deserve.

I really appreciate you all for your patience and commitment to my story—trust me when I say that I want to know what happens just as much as you do!

Thanks again, everyone.

-Acro

p.s. Cheers to the end of the world!


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